Aphrodite's Scarf
by Dovewings.of.Narnia
Summary: "Somewhere, deep inside, I'd known it all along... I'd let myself fall for a boy who was destined to die." Somehow, Percy had gone from driving her crazy to being the one she cared most about. -A collection of Percabeth oneshots, spanning the series.
1. Waterland, Denver CO

Title: Waterland, Denver CO.  
>Set: During <em>The Lightening Thief<br>_Summery: She's realizing that there might be a lot more to this Son of Poseidon then she first thought—and maybe he does have a chance as Thalia's replacement.

A/N: I promise, I'll usually leave this 'til the end. But there are a couple things I wanted to say up front: this story is entirely finished (except for minor editing), so how fast I update will depend (mostly) upon reviews. There will be thirteen chapters, and they will gradually move through the series. I meant for them to be entirely Percabeth-y (and this is the first time I've done romance, so sorry if it sucks), but several of them turned out a little different. This first one is an example... but I liked how it ended up. So I'm hoping you do, too. :) Enjoy! (And formatting apparently hates me at the moment, so sorry if anything ends up looking funky.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Lightening Thief._

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><p><em>"I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me—"<em>

_"Are you kidding?"_

_"What's the problem now?"_

_"Me, go with you to the... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? __What if somebody saw me?"_

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><p>It had to be spiders. It just had to be. Anything else I could have handled, but spiders? No way. Not for this girl, thank you very much.<p>

Percy basically saved my life, and all I did was scream my head off. Percy had provided the water and knocked away the spiders, while I _screamed_. Like a stupid Aphrodite girl.

Although, to be fair, I wasn't _totally_ useless. I did tell him when to jump the gate. Maybe a little too late, but we definitely would have gotten squished if we'd jumped on his mark. At any rate, we lived—with some assistance from Grover.

I still don't think I'll be coming back to Waterland anytime soon. I mean, really? Who does things like this? The gods have time to set stupid, elaborate traps on _love rides_ for each other, manipulate demigods, have endless affairs, and bicker over every single little thing, but they can't keep track of their symbols of power? Sometimes I wish I were a god, so I could beat some sense into them. Except for Mom, of course.

I'd always thought that Poseidon was the worst. Mom hated him, that much I knew. And I'd told Percy so.

It wasn't fair. Thalia should have been the one in the prophecy. She was brave and heroic and sacrificial… And she actually _knew_ something about mythology.

But I guess what had just happened was somewhat heroic. At least Percy wasn't blaming me for the spider thing. And he _did_ manage to kill Medusa, although his lack of ability to keep up with the gods and monsters and their various relationships with each other might hurt us someday.

I nibbled on an Oreo and stared at the lion in his cage. I was mad at the truck drivers, yeah, but my mind wasn't quite engaged. I was wondered what Thalia would have said about the bolt going missing, if she were here… if she were still alive. Would she be in the truck with me, instead of Percy? Usually, the idea of having Thalia back sounded so good it almost hurt. But right now, I didn't feel like I needed it as much. Although if I could have changed what happened…

I'd told Grover it wasn't his fault, and I really did believe that. But I found myself going back to the night so often, analyzing every detail and agonizing over what each of us could have done differently.

I remembered everything so clearly: endless rain pouring down; the four of us running, running, running; Luke's hand in mine, dragging me along…

Thalia had been behind us, limping but keeping up. Grover was somewhere out ahead, bouncing around nervously and announcing how much farther to camp about every half mile. I liked him okay, but I really wished he would stop. By the way Luke's hand would tense around mine every time Grover spoke, I knew he was getting ticked.

We'd almost made it. We really _had._ I'd thought we would be okay. Grover was leading the way up Half-Blood Hill, finally done with the mile thing. Luke let go of me to help Thalia, who'd slipped on a rock.

"Keep going!" he shouted hoarsely.

I was basically clawing my way up the hill, figuring they'd catch me in due time. I didn't want to look back, because the hill was pretty steep, and the rain had made everything muddy and slippery. I knew falling was a mistake we couldn't afford.

Behind me, I vaguely made out Thalia saying something, and Luke answering. Neither of them sounded happy. Then there was the sound of scrambling. Out of nowhere, Luke scooped me up from behind, one hand under my shoulders and the other, my knees. His face was soaked, and his eyes looked a little wild.

Out of habit, I wrapped both arms around his neck. Each night, at our various safe houses and camps, I would sit on his lap and do exactly this, while he sang or made up a story or just chatted with Thalia. I treasured those moments, the feeling that someone strong and brave cared enough about me to sit with me. Now, however, as I looked over his shoulder, I felt myself go cold.

First off, we didn't have nearly as much time as I'd thought. The hellhounds (accompanied by the Furies) were maybe fifty feet away, and coming on _fast_.

And secondly, Thalia was not right behind us anymore. She was back at the base of the hill, about two yards from the end of the road, staring at the hellhounds. Aegis was on her arm, and she was readying her spear. For a split second, she glanced back at me. Then she raised the spear. A flash of lightening swirled out of sky and hit it, and she let out a battle cry.

"Luke!" I screamed hoarsely. "Luke, look, Thal—"

"I know," Luke croaked. "I'll go back, Beth. Let me get you to the top."

He wasn't going to make it.

"Put me down!" I screamed, shoving him. He tightened his hold, determination on his face. I knew that look. He wasn't going to stop. "Luke! _Thalia! _She—"

Before I even finished, there was a howl. Lightening flashed overhead, and Luke cringed miserably. I looked over his shoulder again. Hellhounds had completely surround Thalia. Her spear was flying and lighting was crackling, but I knew it would never be enough. Not against so many. One of the Furies surged forward, cackling. Thalia barely knocked her away, staggering as she tried to get her balance back.

"_Luke!_"

Luke stumbled and fell, throwing me to the ground. As I rolled across the hilltop, I dimly registered Grover frozen in shock, and behind him a house with blue trim. I paid them little mind, already scrambling around to look down at Thalia. Luke was turning and drawing his sword, ready to return to her side.

A cry cut through the storm. Both of us froze, Luke in the act of running to aid in the fight and me in the midst of trying to stand up. My eyes found the bottom of the hill. Dozens of hellhounds were piled up where Thalia had been standing.

"_No!" _I'm not sure who screamed: me, Luke, or Grover. Maybe it was all three of us. Just then, a bolt of lightening knifed across the sky, the fiercest I'd ever seen. It split in half, and one tendril drilled into the ground maybe a foot away from me. I lurched back with a cry, and Luke fell to his knees next to me, pulling me into his arms and pressing his cheek to mine. I could feel a trick of wetness that was definitely not rain sliding into my ear, but I wasn't sure if the tear came from him or me.

The other finger of lightening hit the hellhounds. As I watched in a mixture of disbelief and horror, the pile crumpled into dust. Something lifted out of the heap, silhouetted in the light: a girl's body, with arms and legs dangling limply.

Thalia.

The lightening crackled again, and then vanished as suddenly as it had come. A clap of thunder sounded, as loud as an exploding bomb. Where the lightening had hit the ground was a pine tree, and Thalia…

Thalia was gone.

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><p>Percy's voice pulled me back to the present and the zoo van. "That pine-tree bead. Is that from your first year?"<p>

I looked down, blinking a little. My fingers were indeed curled around the tiny tree, a bead I'd been both so proud and so sad to receive. I'd seen Luke hold it the same way, though not so much lately.

"Yeah," I said. "Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's bead." I tried to pour my focus into happier memories… Even the strange summers, like the Centaur Prom. Forget Thalia's death. I needed some counseling to get over _that._

Of course, then Percy _had_ to bring up my dad. The flash of anger and disgust from his nosiness burned away my blues quite a bit, but still, a memory lingered behind my eyes… That last image of Thalia, Daughter of Zeus, spear raised. I studied this Son of Poseidon before me, trying to imagine him in the same position. Not with a spear, of course, but a sword…

To my surprise, I could see it perfectly. He would do exactly what she had. I wasn't sure how I knew so suddenly, or with such clarity, but the thought brought a surge of affection for Percy.

"So, if the gods fight, will things line up the way they did in the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"

A wave of tiredness swept through me at the thought of war. I didn't want to see anyone else die. I leaned against the backpack Ares had given us and closed my eyes. Thalia's image still burned on my lids, and I wondered what she would say. Something sarcastic, but something loyal…

"I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."

"Why?"

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><p>"<em>Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"<em>

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><p>AN: When I sat down to write this, I seriously didn't mean to include all that about Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth. But it came spilling out from the back of my imagination, and so I just left it. I'm a little annoyed, because in a final book check-through I found a paragraph saying Thalia made it to the top of the hill... but I already had her at the bottom. -_- I also had a version where the tree was already there, but I decided this was more dramatic. Anyway, I (obviously) left it as it appears here. So if you were going to tell me that she made it to the top, please don't bother. I'm sorry. I know I wrote it wrong. :p

Aphrodite's scarf will show up in the next chapter/oneshot. Which you will get faster if you hit that little blue button, right down there. Please? I will give you virtual cookies. And if you don't... I will set the hellhounds on you. *Evil laughter*


	2. First Mistake

Title: First Mistake  
>Set: During <em>The Lightening Thief<br>_Summery: There's nothing wrong with keeping a little token of all the memories they made on their quest. Who knows, maybe she'll want it someday.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. (Save for the three briefly mentioned original children of Athena.) _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Lightening Thief._

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><p><em>Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls—I told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched me and told me to shut up.<em>

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><p>I couldn't remember another time when I'd felt this happy. Well, I <em>could<em>, long ago when I was sitting on Luke's lap, and he and Thalia were laughing, but…

Like I said, that was a long time ago. Right _now_, I was in the center of a huge band of happy, singing campers. Grover was showing Malcolm and Eldrian his searcher's license next to me, and Percy… well, he wasn't next to us, exactly, but I knew he was somewhere off to my left, with the Hermes campers. I made a mental note to tell him to watch out for the Stoll brothers.

I glanced over to see what they were up to, then stopped. That was funny… Luke should have been there by the Hermes kids. No, he should have been by _me_. Okay, I might have had less fun due to nerves, but I had been hoping I would be able to talk to him, _really_ talk to him, for the first time in what felt like years. He'd been growing apart from me ever since he took his quest. Still, I held out hope. Thalia was gone, but maybe the two of us…

Oh, whatever. The point is, he should have been hanging out with either his siblings or me.

But he wasn't there. I couldn't find him around the fire at all. Hadn't he been here when we were burning the shrouds? I couldn't remember.

"Annabeth!" Percy called. I jerked to attention. He was waving me over, probably to make another stupid comment about how it was too bad I wasn't getting buried or something like that.

Really, he is such a _seaweed brain_.

But I went anyway, and pretty soon I was laughing so hard I'd totally forgotten Luke. We stayed at the bonfire until almost 10:45, when Chiron finally said that if we were out much longer, we were going to anger Mr. D. I personally didn't agree; I've seen him sleep through things a lot louder than that party. But I was craving sleep, in a real bed, so I didn't protest too much.

I dragged myself back to Cabin 6 with my siblings, trying not to yawn too big. I'd dropped to my knees and was digging through my trunk for a shirt and shorts passable as pajamas when I felt a lump in the pocket of my Waterland shorts. I'd dumped them in the trunk earlier, not sure what to do with them. I knew Silena Beauregard would have said they were a crime against fashion. I have no love for fashion, but I'd have to say I agreed.

But what would be in the pocket? I reached my hand in and felt something surprisingly cool. I gave it a quick tug, and a pink scarf floated to our cabin floor.

Aphrodite's scarf.

I stared at it stupidly for a second before my brain kicked in, and I grabbed it, stuffing it under the first item of clothing in my trunk, which happened to be a hoodie. I looked up nervously, but Evelyn, who had the bunk above mine that summer, was in the midst of fixing her sleeping bag and hadn't noticed.

I exhaled, moving the hoodie slightly to the left to peek at the scarf. I'd totally forgotten that I'd taken it from Percy at Waterland. I sniffed the air. Being in my pocket for so long, it had aired out, but the faint sent of roses still lingered. I wrapped the hoodie around it and shoved the whole package to the bottom corner of my trunk, before Malcolm or Eldrian or anyone else could come investigate.

Waterland was an incident I did not particularly feel like sharing with my cabin mates. Nor did I feel like explaining that I hadn't managed to dispose of the scarf, even after all that traveling.

I grabbed the next two items of clothing I touched and slammed the trunk shut, sealing off the perfume.

Great. My whole trunk was going to reek the next time I opened it.

Simon called me, letting me know it was my turn to brush my teeth and change in the little bathroom. Normally, I would have gone to the bathhouse with Evelyn and the other girls, but tonight… I just didn't feel like it. I scurried into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.

This was not a big deal. I could get rid of the scarf tomorrow. I ripped off my shorts and tossed them down, narrowly missing the toilet. After that, I calmed down a tad, folding my shirt neatly before slipping into the pajamas.

But really… why should I have to get rid of the scarf? I glanced in the mirror, thinking of the elation I had felt around the fire. It would be a good reminder of the quest; of our adventures; of whose side I was on.

It was either the scarf or those hideous shorts.

I brushed my teeth quickly and headed over to my bed, yawning again. After all, Aphrodite's scarf was designed to attract _men_ to her. It shouldn't affect me in any way, as long as I didn't let any of the guy campers get a whiff.

It would be a good memento, down there in the bottom of my trunk to be found at random intervals…

I was perfectly fine to keep it.

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><p>"<em>Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."<em>

"_What?"_

"_Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here."_

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><p>AN: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I was so happy to get so many. :) It also motivated me to get this out right away. Please review again and let me know what you thought! Oddly enough, the thing I had the most trouble with in this oneshot was naming the other children of Athena. I didn't want to just use Malcolm...

Thank you as well to everyone who has subscribed. I'm glad you liked the story enough to follow it. Perhaps leave a review this time? Either way, thank you. :)


	3. Relay Races

Title: Relay Races  
>Set: During <em>The Sea of Monsters<br>_Summery: The last thing she meant to do was play the damsel-in-distress, save-me-from-the-Sirens card. So why didn't she mind so much when he rescued her?

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Sea of Monsters._

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><p>"<em>I want you to do me a favor. The Sirens… we'll be in range of their singing soon."<em>

"_No problem. We can just stop up our ears. There's a big tub of candle wax below deck—"_

"_I want to hear them."_

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><p>Looking back, I might admit that summer was not one of my finer hours. I mean, okay: we saved Grover and Clarisse. We got the Golden Fleece. We even saved <em>Thalia<em>, which was more then I had dreamed of since I was about eight and came to grips with the fact that, tree or no tree, the Thalia I'd known was dead.

But before all that, I was a brat to Tyson, let Circe enchant me (I got us out of it, but I still screwed up), and, worst of all listened to the Sirens.

Like an idiot, I actually _a)_ requested that Percy sail by the Sirens and let me listen, _b)_ guilted him into agreeing even though he didn't want to, _c)_ forgot to tell him to disarm me, and most of all, _d)_ far underestimated the power of a Siren Song.

I'd had a lot of unpleasant moments in my life, but that one pretty much took the cake.

When I was under the song's spell, everything was distorted, strange, dreamlike. I felt almost… possessed. And in that moment, I _hated_ Percy. I mean, really, really hated him. He was keeping me from my dad, my mom, my world… my Luke. He was keeping me from returning to that happy time when I would sit on his lap and put my arms around his shoulders, and we would laugh and sing… Keeping me from truly mattering and being remembered.

Then my head went under water, and everything got a little fuzzy. Luke… Just a few days ago I'd seen Luke. What had he said? I was mad at him. Why?

We resurfaced, and I heard the singing again. The spell took over. Kicking, scratching, biting… I was willing to do whatever it took to get away from Percy. To get to a place where things were _right_.

Percy dragged me down once more, and the muddled thoughts that had been shaken loose before returned: Luke is evil… Your dad moved on… Your mom doesn't have time for you…

You don't hate Percy. He's your _friend_.

At that point, thoughts about what was going on stopped and the need to breathe pretty much took over. I was fighting again, but it was more from survival instinct than hatred.

And suddenly, my lungs filled with air. My vision cleared up, and I started coughing. We were under water, but we weren't. We were in… a bubble? All was quiet, dead quiet, except for Percy's panting. He had me around the waist, his chest pressed to my back. I shivered hard, the last of the Sirens' spell trickling away. I can't quite describe that moment… It was like almost like… coming out of a movie or something, and feeling like you're on top of the world, only to remember that the story wasn't real and you're still stuck exactly where you were before. Except much, much worse.

In disbelief, I turned to stare at Percy. For a couple seconds, he gazed back at me with fear in his eyes, and then relief took over his expression.

My mind was reeling. Percy had _jumped off a boat_ to save me. He'd risked getting eaten himself to keep me out of the Sirens' hands.

With that thought, it was like a dam broke somewhere inside of me. I hadn't cried so hard since the night Thalia died.

Luke did not want me back. He was gone just as much as Thalia, except I had to watch him turn on me and everything I held dear.

My dad didn't want me, either. He'd proven that. On the long list of things in his life, I mattered the least. His wife was more important. Bobby and Matthew were more important. His stupid _job_ was more important.

And my mom… She didn't care enough to have a picnic with me. To praise me for the things I'd done. How stupid was that? Right now she was probably utterly ashamed of me.

I twisted around and pushed my face against Percy's shoulder, gasping and choking on my tears. Dimly, at the edge of my misery, I was aware of how warm his arms were, and the concerned looks he kept shooting me…

Percy cares about you, a tiny corner of my brain whispered. Percy's your friend, remember? You're not all alone.

I gulped, trying to control the sobs. "P-Percy," I managed to say. "Percy… thank you. Thank you so much."

Then I just held on to him and cried some more.

I vaguely understood that we were following the ship away from the island, though the world outside our bubble hardly seemed to matter at all. Some part of me wanted to stay there forever. It wasn't a picnic in a park I'd designed, but I felt safe. Percy wasn't saying anything, just hugging me gently and letting me cry. I didn't want to face him when his sympathy ran out.

All too soon, we began rising to the surface. The bubble popped, and a ladder appeared over the ship's side. I took a deep breath and splashed my face with ocean water, trying to wash away the tears. I couldn't hear the Sirens, but I was still shaking. We crawled onto the boat, and I found a blanket. I wrapped myself in it (ignoring the half of my not-entirely-thawed brain that was remarking how Percy's arms were a lot warmer) and sat on the deck until I couldn't even see a hint of the mist around the Sirens' island anymore. Then I told Percy it was safe.

Back at Camp, after we'd gotten the Golden Fleece and everything, the misery of the Sea of Monsters slowly began to fade. The chariot races were on again soon, and I wanted to be ready. I couldn't be happier with my team. I knew I'd been wrong about Tyson now. It was kind of pathetic to just assume all Cyclops were evil. Nothing was black and white.

And Percy… I'd respected Percy since last summer. I'd even come to care about him a lot. He was the closest friend I'd ever had at Camp, not counting Luke. But now, whenever I thought about the Sirens, I got a funny feeling in my stomach. A big part of it was embarrassment, but something… I don't know. My heart did its own little relay race whenever I thought of that air bubble.

Which was stupid. Percy was my best friend, plain and simple. That was what best friends did for each other. The funny feeling only came from going so long without a friend like that. Try as I might, I couldn't picture Luke saving me the way Percy had. (Actually, Luke—my Luke, the old Luke—probably wouldn't have let me listen. But that's beside the point.)

I was glad they were on my team. I was ready to _win_.

"Percy! Come on!"

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><p><em>She started to sob—I mean horrible, heartbroken sobbing. She put her head on my shoulder, and I held her.<em>

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><p>AN: This was a little harder to write. The farther along I got in the series, the harder it got to sum everything up in just one or two oneshots. So while there were a few other things I might have touched on in SoM, I decided to just leave it at this. I also had a little trouble with transition to the end of this one, so sorry if it's a little bumpy. Review again?

Once again, thank you all for reviewing! I really appreciate the feedback. One reviewer did mention to me that Annabeth took the scarf up to the Big House attic. In case anyone else was worried, I want to make sure that I let you know it will get there in good time. :) Bear with me.

And Happy New Year! I hope you all have a wonderful 2012... God bless!

-Dovewings


	4. Into the Attic

Title: Into the Attic  
>Set: Between <em>The Sea of Monsters <em>and _The Titan's Curse_  
>Summery: The scarf—that was all it was. Really, what had she been thinking, to keep it? As soon as she got rid of it, things would be okay.<p>

A/N: Sorry about not updating for a few days! School started for me again today, so I'm afraid the updates will be coming farther apart from now on. I go to an online school, so you'd think I'd have more free time, but I really don't. It seems like every time I turn around, I'm being assigned a paper! Fun-writing, unfortunately, has to take a back seat. But anyway. I'm sure you don't care about that. Thank you for all your sweet reviews! Hopefully this oneshot will not disappoint.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Titan's Curse._

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><p><em>I stared at the scarf. I'd totally forgotten about it….<em>

_I'd just assumed she'd thrown it away. And yet here it was. She'd kept it all this time? And why had she stashed it in the attic?_

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><p>I could <em>not<em> be crushing on Percy Jackson. It was impossible! But the stupid subject kept coming up.

It started with Thalia, almost as soon as we got her into the Big House. I guess she was trying to get her mind off what Grover and Chiron had just somewhat confusingly explained to her: she'd been fatally wounded fighting the hellhounds ("Well, duh. I'm able to tell when I've been ripped to shreds."), Zeus had turned her into a tree ("A tree. The best he could come up with was a _tree_. Geez, I feel loved."), and she'd been one for almost seven years. That was the part she'd had a little trouble with. I guess she thought Percy was the safest topic. At least she hadn't asked about Luke.

"So. Percy," she said, blinking.

"Yup," I said, deciding to give in. "Percy Jackson." I was still so rattled I could hardly think, but this seemed a safe enough topic. Unless she asked about the prophecy. Crap.

Thalia considered this, raking a hand through her short black hair. I'd forgotten how pretty she was, in that weird punk-ish, goth-ish way. "He's cute," she said.

At that point, my mouth might have actually fallen open. Whether it did or not, I couldn't come up with anything to say. Of all the comments to come out with, _he's cute_? What the Hades?

"Oh, sorry," Thalia said, traces of humor coming into her electric blue eyes. "Do you have dibs?"

At that point, I smacked her with a pillow, informed her that Percy and I were just friends, and told her she'd better watch it, or she might find herself a tree again. She laughed, told me she didn't think I had the guts, and we left the strange topic of Percy's _cuteness_ behind us.

It was almost like the old days.

But then I had to tell her about Luke, and all lighthearted conversation stopped for the next few days. She was in the infirmary, although she didn't seem to be seriously injured. I hung out with her almost all the time. We didn't talk much. I could tell she was processing and working through everything, and I didn't want to make it worse. And anyway, I had a lot to think about, too.

Looking back, I couldn't exactly remember if Thalia and Luke had been… a thing. I knew they'd been best friends, attached at the hip and practically able to read each others' minds. But I was so young at the time, I wasn't sure if there had been something more going on.

I sure as Hades wasn't going to ask Thalia.

I also didn't want to share the seed of an idea that had been growing in my mind. Luke had said Thalia would be on his side. That wasn't true, of course, but maybe… Maybe he would listen to her. Maybe she could change his mind and bring him back.

Thalia moved into the Zeus cabin just before the school year started. After a lot of begging, we got Chiron to enroll her in the school I was attending.

Normally, leaving Camp for another round of educational torture was low on the list of things I liked. But if Thalia was coming… It wouldn't be so bad. My world was opening up again. Just like with Percy, Thalia's friendship made me feel like I mattered. In the last way I ever would have expected, I'd gotten some of the old days back.

My heart seemed to be celebrating, too. Although it couldn't quite figure out that Percy had nothing to do with Thalia coming to school with me. The little relay races and flips when he was around were getting more frequent. That was another reason I was glad to leave.

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><p>Around Halloween, we went back to Camp Half-Blood for a little training and downtime. Percy didn't come, and I couldn't decide if I was happy about that or not.<p>

At least my heart's stupid acrobatics had stopped.

The first day we were there, I was digging through my trunk when my knuckles hit a soft lump in the bottom corner. I pulled it out, and an old hoodie spilled open in my grasp, revealing a coil of pink material.

"The scarf!" I gasped aloud. Thankfully, no one else was in the cabin.

I stood up, mind reeling. _The scarf_—that was all this strangeness had been! I didn't _like_-like Percy. Aphrodite's magic was tricking me! Keeping the scarf in my trunk had let the magic seep into my other clothes.

I shook the hoodie out, keeping the scarf in my hand. I had to get rid of it. Once I did, things would go back to normal.

Still, the idea of destroying it made me a little sad. Don't be ridiculous, I scolded myself. Why would you want the thing?

Then it occurred to me: the attic. That's where I could stash the scarf.

I stuffed it into my jeans pocket. The scent had completely faded after almost two years of sitting at the bottom of the trunk, but it didn't make me any less nervous. The magic obviously hadn't worn off. What if someone asked me what was in my pocket? The scarf made a pretty obvious lump.

I hesitated, then grabbed my Yankees cap and slid it on. Better safe then sorry.

I jogged across camp, only slowing to climb the Big House porch steps. Chiron and Mr. D always stopped their outdoor games of pinochle around the middle of October, so the porch was empty. I removed my hat and stuck my head in the backdoor.

"Hello?" I muttered, desperately hoping no one would answer me. All was quiet. I replaced the hat and tiptoed across the living room. By the time I got to the trap door leading to the attic, I was breathing normally again.

I pulled down the ladder and scurried up it. The attic looked basically the same as the last time I'd seen it, when I was ten years old.

_A half-blood of the eldest gods  
>Shall reach sixteen against all odds<br>And— _

I yelped and looked toward the Oracle. She was sitting on her stool as always, still and silent. I swallowed hard. The Great Prophecy. I hadn't thought about it in a while.

Thalia's face appeared in my mind, followed by Percy's. We hadn't exactly worked out Thalia's age, but it looked like she would be sixteen first. She was going to die again. I blinked hard. But then, to my utter horror, I felt a tiny trickle of relief. Percy would live.

I slammed my fist down on the nearest table, jittering everything on it. "Stupid!" I hissed. "Stupid, stupid scarf."

I threw the thing down, but it didn't fall very satisfyingly. It sort of just floated down to the wooden table top, taking its sweet old time.

Stupid scarf.

I wiped my suddenly sweaty hands on my jeans and poked around for the note cards I knew were up here… Ah-ha! I pulled one out of the small box, along with a safety pin and a stubby pencil. Leaning over to prop the card on the table, I took a moment to steady my hands. I needed to write this well.

Holding my breath, I formed the letters slowly and carefully.

SCARF OF THE GODDESS APHRODITE

RECOVERED AT WATERLAND, DENVER, CO.,

BY ANNABETH CHASE AND PERCY JACKSON

I studied our names there, side by side. Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson…

"Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I flung the pencil back into its holder and ran for the ladder, scrambling back down into the hall below.

Panting, I let the rope slide through my fingers until the trapdoor was closed again. "There," I said. "It's gone now."

Only when I was halfway back to my cabin did I realize I probably should have put Grover's name on the card, too.

Oh well. No way was I going back up there.

* * *

><p><em>Heroes stored all kinds of stuff in the attic: quest trophies they no longer wanted to keep in their cabins, or stuff that held painful memories.<br>_

* * *

><p>AN: Silly Annabeth. But, anyway. There we are. The scarf is in the attic. ;) I'm sorry if you wanted more about Thalia. I fought with that beginning for a while, and I'm still not 100% happy with it. But since I won't be able to post more tomorrow, and I haven't updated since last year... ;) I decided to just go ahead. The next oneshot is called "Immortal", and should _hopefully_ be up by Friday or Saturday. Please review!


	5. Immortal

Title: Immortal  
>Set: BeforeDuring _The Titan's Curse  
><em>Summery: It's a big choice to make. What all will she have to give up? Will it be worth it? And… will she even be_ able_ to do it?

A/N: Ugh! I am so sorry! I've been trying to get this up ever since I, you know, _said_ I was going to, but... I've been crazy-busy. I know that's not really an excuse. My computer crashed, if that makes you any less angry. :P Which just goes to show you that backing up is a very, very wise thing to do. It totally saved my butt. Also, this update took longer because I added a _lot_ to this oneshot. It was something like 1700 words to being with, and now it's around 5000. So at least you get a bit of a longer read. There was even more I could have written... Man, for Annabeth not being in TC much, there was a lot to cover! So, anyway. Enough with the excuses. I'm sorry, and I hope you enjoy this tardy update.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Titan's Curse._

* * *

><p>"<em>I found that in Annabeth's backpack."<em>

"_I don't understand."_

"_Well, it seems to me… maybe Annabeth was thinking about joining."_

* * *

><p>I found out my dad was planning to move over Thanksgiving break. I was furious. I'd thought we were getting to a better place.<p>

But no. Once again, his _job_ was more important than _me._ I should've known. Sure, he was nicer. He promised he'd take care of me. Make it work.

Like he _could_.

He'd lied to me.

I don't know what made me think of the Hunters. I knew there had been a time when Luke, Thalia, and I stumbled across them, although it was one of my dimmer memories. I did remember disliking Zoë Nightshade.

But when you're tossing and turning at 3:00 AM, there's not all that much that seems like a bad idea. I mean, joining the Hunters definitely didn't sound worse than going to San Francisco. There were benefits. Immortality, for one thing. Adventure and excitement… Good friends, who wouldn't betray me or leave me.

The next morning, after Bobby and Matthew practically had a wrestling match over who got to get the mail, I got a brochure.

"What's this?" my stepmom asked, plucking it from underneath a Sears catalogue.

I was in the middle of designing a monument on the back of my science worksheet (hey, when inspiration hits, you use whatever you can get) but I looked up for a split second to see what she was talking about.

The first thing I saw was the caption ANY MAIDEN IS WELCOME: THE HUNTERS ACCEPT ALL.

"Oh!" I cried, lurching out of my chair. I ripped the brochure out of her hands and clutched it to my chest, forgetting for the moment that I was pretending my stepfamily didn't exist. "That's mine."

She blinked at me. "Is it a… school?"

I tipped the brochure back. I couldn't exactly make out the title upside down. "Um… kind of. It's a Greek thing," I said, figuring that would get her off my back.

She sighed deeply. "Annabeth, I know you think we didn't consider you when Fredrick took the job, but—"

"Whatever," I said, marching back to the table and sweeping my homework into my messenger bag. "I'm going up to my room."

"Annabeth—"

I fled the kitchen, leaving my half-brothers whining about the lack of mail for them.

I shut my bedroom door behind me and dumped my bag on the bed, the monument momentarily forgotten. How had Artemis known? I mean, okay, she's a goddess, but all I'd done was _think_ about the Hunters.

I sat at my desk and smoothed out the brochure. The front read A WISE CHOICE FOR YOUR FUTURE!

I flipped through the rest, scanning the pictures. I thought I recognized Zoë in a few.

If I went through with this, Thalia was going to kill me.

I studied the left flap. A BOY-FREE TOMORROW! the headline proclaimed. I stared at it for a long time. On one hand, that sounded kind of good. Luke had certainly let me down. But on the other… What about Percy?

I shook my head and focused on the center HEALTH BENEFITS: IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IS MEANS FOR YOU! I pictured the Underworld. If I were immortal, I would never have to go there again. At least, not for a few millennia. Zoë was something like 2,000—I'd heard her tell Thalia.

I leaned back in my chair. If I joined the Hunters, I could leave the mess with Luke and Kronos behind. I wouldn't have to play a part in the Great Prophecy.

I'd gone from wishing it were about me to wanting no part of it. Not if it meant losing Percy or Thalia.

Joining the Hunters would mean losing Percy, a little voice in my head whispered.

"So?" I said out loud. "I got rid of the scarf. I _don't_ like him!"

"What?" my stepmom called from the kitchen, making me jump.

"Uh, nothing!" I plunked my chin into my hands, letting my gaze wander out the window.

Joining the Hunters would mean I'd never have to worry about my dad again, either.

There was a knock on my door.

"Annabeth?" my stepmom said softly from the other side of the door.

"What?" I snapped, spinning around in my chair.

Her voice got a little firmer. "Your dad's home. We want to talk to you."

I huffed and spun around again. "_Fine_. Just a minute." I opened the bottom door of my desk and stuffed the brochure under some old papers.

No way did I want anyone seeing that before I made my choice.

* * *

><p>I thought about the Hunters a lot during the next few weeks. There were some days I wanted nothing more than to leave. Others, I couldn't imagine living without Thalia… or Percy.<p>

Thalia didn't seem to realize something was up. She was too distracted by her own problem: boredom. I was used to long spells with little action, and at least there were usually one or two new things to learn around school, like in my _awesome_ 3-D design class. But Thalia had little interest in book learning.

"I just feel so stuck!" she told me in frustration. "Why can't we _go_ somewhere?"

It occurred to me that I'd never known Thalia not to be moving. She thrived on seeing new places and finding new adventures.

A tiny bell went off in my head.

Thalia settled back and took an angry slurp of her milkshake. "I hate school."

"Hm," I said, my mind already working.

"What?" she asked with a slight grin. "I see those gears turning."

"You miss being on the run," I said, making it a statement.

Thalia nodded and stirred her straw in her drink. "Don't you? I mean, c'mon, Annabeth. Would you rather be sitting on your butt drinking a watery shake, or out fighting monsters and seeing the country?"

I ignored the bit about the shakes. I thought they tasted fine. "Wouldn't it be awesome," I asked her, keeping my tone light, "if you could run around like that all the time… forever?"

Thalia grinned. "Now you're talking. That sounds like the life."

I nodded, thinking of the brochure in my backpack.

* * *

><p>Three weeks later, Percy, Thalia, and I headed for Westover Hall to help Grover. I'd received a notice from the Hunters saying they would be in the vicinity that night, which had given me a double dose of nerves.<p>

All I had to do was get Thalia to talk to Artemis. That was it. Her dislike of Zoë would be a minor issue, if she would just listen and see that the Hunters could give her everything she wanted.

We stepped into the main entrance, where weapons hung all over the walls. I understand decorating with antique weapons at a military school, but this seemed like a little much. Percy reached into the pocket where he kept Riptide, and Thalia started rubbing the bracelet that turned into her shield, Aegis. I felt for the knife hidden in my sleeve. Between that and the Yankees cap in my pocket, I felt fairly confident about my readiness to fight.

"I wonder where—" My question was cut off by the door slamming shut behind us.

"Oo-kay," Percy said. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

Thalia slid her bag off her shoulder and dumped it behind a post, motioning for Percy and I to do the same. We obeyed her silently. It was a technique familiar to me. Back when we were on the run, Luke preferred to ditch the bags unless we were headed to a new town. We only carried them every few days.

The three of us continued down the hall, toward a source of music. I spotted two figures in the shadows second before they stepped into our path: a man and a woman, each in a military uniform.

"Well?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

I felt like kicking myself for not thinking to come up with a cover story earlier. Grover could have at least met us at the door!

"Um…" Percy shot me and Thalia a slightly panicked look, then said, "Ma'am, we're just—"

"Ha!" the man shouted, startling me. "Visitors are not allowed at the dance. You shall be _eee-jected!_"

I tensed, ready to run, but Thalia stepped forward calmly and snapped her fingers. A current of air flowed from her fingers, and I blinked in surprise. I'd seen Chiron do this, but... When had he taught her?

"Oh, but we're not visitors, sir," she said confidently. "We go to school here. You remember: I'm Thalia. And this is Annabeth and Percy. We're in the eighth grade."

She waited expectantly. The man narrowed his eyes, two different colors, and I couldn't help thinking that he didn't seem fooled. But then he looked at the woman. "Ms. Gottschalk, do you know these students?"

A slight smirk crossed Percy's face. I glared at him, but I was distracted by the woman saying, "I… yes. I believe I do, sir. Annabeth. Thalia. Percy. What are you doing away from the gymnasium?"

"You made it!" a familiar voice cut in. "You—" Grover ran up to us, but skidded to a stop as soon as he saw the teachers. "Oh, Ms. Gottschalk. Dr. Thorn! I, uh—"

The male teacher—Dr. Thorn, I guessed—gave Grover a look of loathing. With his weird eyes, he pulled it off incredibly well. "What _is_ it, Mr. Underwood? What do you mean, they made it? These students live here."

He definitely didn't seem fooled.

All three of us looked at Grover. He swallowed hard. "Yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Thorn. I just meant, I'm so glad they made… the punch for the dance! The punch is great. And they made it!"

Grover really hasn't gotten any better at excuses since he told Charon that we drowned in the bathtub.

Dr. Thorn glared at us, but Ms. Gottschalk nodded slightly. "Yes," she said, sounding like she was in a trance, "the punch is excellent. Now run along, all of you. You are not to leave the gymnasium again."

"Yes, sir!" Grover said, just as I said, "Yes, ma'am." Thalia and Percy copied us, and Percy threw in a salute. Grover scrambled down the hallway, the three of us right on his heels.

Dr. Thorn was still watching us.

Under his breath, Percy asked Thalia, "How did you do that finger-snap thing?"

She looked surprised that he would ask. "You mean the Mist? Hasn't Chiron shown you how to do that yet?"

Percy shook his head, glancing away from her. I saw a twinge of hurt in his eyes, and wondered, for the first time, if he knew a lot of us had seen him as Thalia's replacement. I didn't think that way anymore, but… We had been grooming him to be the subject of that horrible prophecy for a couple years now. It had to hurt to have Thalia come back and steal his role.

Although, since it considerably increased his chances of living, he didn't have a ton to complain about.

"That was close!" Grover said, coming to a stop at a door marked GYM. "Thank the gods you got here!"

I smiled, stepping up to give him a hug. I'd missed Grover over the last few months. He was taller, but for the most part he looked the same as he always had in his human disguise.

"So what's the emergency?" Percy asked, after a very dramatic high five.

Grover took a deep breath. "I found two."

Thalia's eyes widened. "Half-bloods? Here?"

Grover nodded. I peered through the gym doors in amazement. Man, whatever he said, Grover was good at finding demigods. "A brother and a sister," he told us. "They're ten and twelve. I don't know their parentage, but they're strong. We're running out of time, though. I need help."

"Monsters?" Thalia asked, her face tightening.

Grover looked anxious. "One. He suspects. I don't think he's positive yet, but this is the last day of term. I'm sure he won't let them leave campus without finding out. It may be our last chance! Every time I try to get close to them, he's always there, blocking me. I don't know what to do!" He finished with a deep breath, giving Thalia a begging look.

"Right," she said. "These half-bloods are at the dance?"

Grover nodded.

"Then let's dance," Thalia said, bringing a smile to my face. "Who's the monster?"

Grover glanced around. "Oh. You just met him. The vice principle, Dr. Thorn."

I looked back at the hall, but I couldn't see where he had gone. I'd known something was off about him.

"C'mon." Grover led the way into the dance. "There they are." He nodded toward a pair of kids in the bleachers on the far side of the gym, filled to the brim with partying middle school students. "Bianca and Nico di Angelo."

"Do they… I mean, have you told them?" I asked Grover. Bianca, the older one, looked upset, like she knew something was wrong.

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

Percy nodded. "So let's grab them and get out of here." He started toward the di Angelos, but Thalia reached out and stopped him. Dr. Thorn had entered the gym and was standing by the bleachers. He glared at us, and I knew for sure he hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick.

"Don't look at the kids," she ordered now. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?" Percy asked.

"We're three powerful half-bloods," Thalia said, in a tone equivalent to _duh!_ "Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little awkward.

Thalia nodded, tilting her head as she took in the music. "Ugh." She pulled a face. "Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"

I stifled a chuckle at Grover's expression. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame." Thalia rolled her eyes. "Can't you play, like, Green Day or something?"

Grover looked mystified. "Green who?"

Thalia shook her head. "Never mind. Let's dance."

"But I can't dance!"

"You can if I'm leading. Come on, goat boy." She seized his hand, ignoring his frantic yelp, and hauled him onto the floor.

I couldn't help smiling.

"What?" Percy asked.

I shrugged and reached up to pull off my ski cap, figuring I looked underdressed enough without it. "Nothing. It's just cool to have Thalia back."

There was a pause.

"So…" Percy said, studying the gym. "Um, design any good buildings lately?"

"Oh my gods, Percy," I said eagerly. "At my new school, I get to take 3-D design as an elective, and there's this cool computer program…" I went on to tell him about how it simulated your buildings perfectly, so it almost seemed like you could walk through them. I'd been working a monument for Ground Zero for a while now… the same one I'd been designing on the back of my homework when the brochure for the Hunters came. Some of my enthusiasm faded at the thought of the Hunters. Getting the di Angelos was not going to be our only problem tonight.

"Yeah, uh, cool," Percy said, looking a little glazed. I wondered how much of what I'd just said he'd actually understood. "So, you're staying there the rest of the year, huh?"

I thought of my dad, begging me to come to San Francisco, and the Hunters. "Well, maybe, if I don't—"

"Hey!" Thalia shouted. Percy and I looked over, and I almost cracked up at Grover. He looked like he wanted to dance floor to swallow him up.

"Dance, you guys!" Thalia ordered, ignoring Grover as he kicked her shin yet again. "You look stupid just standing there."

My heart did a little flutter, but I kept my face neutral as I turned to Percy. He was scanning the gym anxiously. Was he seriously going to pretend like he hadn't heard Thalia? Was I _that_ unappealing to dance with?

I felt a flash of frustration. "Well?"

"Um, who should I ask?"

Before I considered that it might be inappropriate, I punched him the gut. So now I wasn't even a _candidate_ for dancing?

"_Me,_ Seaweed Brain."

"Oh." Percy blinked. "Oh, right."

The two of us headed onto the floor. My heart was doing its stupid relay races again. The scarf is gone! I wanted to scream at myself. This is totally a friend dancing with a friend. YOU DO NOT LIKE HIM!

Percy set one hand on my waist and grasped the other. His expression mirrored Grover's pretty well. You would have thought he was trying to dance with Clarisse. "I'm not going to bite," I said. "Honestly, Percy. Don't you guys have dances at your school?"

Percy gave a kind of half shrug, and I noticed with a twinge of disappointment that he was an inch or two shorter than I was. Though why that should disappoint me, I have no idea.

Finally, after several awkward minutes, Percy asked, "What were you saying earlier? Are you having trouble at school or something?"

I relaxed a tad. Here was the Percy I knew: a friend that actually cared. "It's not that. It's my dad."

"Uh-oh." Sympathy crossed his face. "I thought it was getting better with you two. Is it your stepmom again?"

I sighed. If only. "He decided to move. Just when I was getting settled in New York, he took this stupid new job researching for a World War I book. In _San Francisco_."

Percy didn't seem to quite get the significance of this. "So he wants you to move out there with him?"

"To the other side of the country. And half-bloods can't live in San Francisco. He should know that." If he ever did anything but play with toy airplanes.

"What?" Percy asked. "Why not?"

And we're back to the Seaweed Brain.

"You know. It's right _there._" Did he never pay attention in Greek Mythology class? I was sure we'd gone over Mount Othrys.

"Oh," Percy said vaguely. "So… you'll go back to living at camp, or what?"

I thought of the Hunters again. I knew Thalia should join up, but… I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with her. "It's more serious than that, Percy. I… I probably should tell you something."

I struggled to find the right words, and as I did, I let my gaze drift past Percy to the bleachers. The _empty_ bleachers.

I froze. "They're gone."

* * *

><p>In retrospect, I should have listened to Zoë. But its not like she was <em>doing<em> anything, either. The manticore—Dr. Thorn—would have killed Percy and Thalia if I hadn't jumped on him.

"Fire!" Zoë ordered.

"No!" Percy screamed.

I barely had time to duck before arrows went flying. The Hunters are all amazing archers, so none of them hit me. I had a faceful of manticore mane, keeping me from seeing where they _did_ land, but I felt Thorn lurch back. "This is not the end, Huntress!" he managed. "You shall pay!"

He spun around, dislodging my knife and nearly sending me flying.

And then he jumped off the cliff.

For a split second, I couldn't register what was happening. Dark air whizzed by my face, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. Above me, I heard Percy shouting my name.

My brain caught up to my body, and a scream bubbled up in my throat.

Thorn twisted his body, curling around me awkwardly. Inside of coming from below, the wind began to bend around us, almost like a funnel cloud. It spun faster and faster, twisting my hair around my face and blocking my vision. I felt weightless, like I was hanging in still air. Darkness filtered across my eyes, and I just had time to think how pathetic of a way to die this was after everything I'd been through when the world around me seemed to shatter.

Thorn's mane faded in my hands, until they were empty. A dark shadow raced toward me, and I registered stone seconds before impact.

"Umph." I struggled to breathe, feeling like my chest had caved in. I gulped several times, and at last managed to get some air.

My heart gradually slowed to its normal tempo, and I rested my cheek on the ground below me. Something was wrong. There was _no way_ I could survive a fall like that with only the wind knocked out of me.

I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. There wasn't much to see. Dark fog hung all around, making me feel eerily enclosed. I was on a hillside, though that still didn't explain how I'd fallen vertically and landed horizontally. Thorn was nowhere in sight.

My knife was still clutched in my right fist, and I tucked it away. My Yankees cap had fallen off when I tackled Percy and the di Angelos. Please, I thought, please, please let Percy or Thalia have picked it up.

After a deep breath, I got to my feet. I looked both ways, but there was nothing to see but fog. I turned to go down, thinking that was more likely to get me somewhere, when I caught a flash of motion upslope out of the corner of my eye. Something big.

Thorn.

Without another thought, I spun around and scrambled up in his direction. The fog made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead, and climbing was a challenge. As I got higher, shapes began to rise out of the mist. I moved closer to one and investigated. It looked like… a column?

What had happened here?

I struggled up another few yards, eyes peeled. I saw more pieces of a building, but no manticore.

"Thorn!" I shouted in frustration. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?"

I vaulted a section of the wall ahead of me, and found myself at the top of the hill. Something was crumpled in front of me… A person.

He turned toward me, and I gasped, instantly forgetting Thorn.

Luke was at the center of a huge bank of fog, looking like he was about to be crushed. His face was drenched in sweat, and he seemed ready to collapse any second.

"Annabeth!" he cried. "Help me! Please!"

I sprinted toward him. A corner of my brain whispered that I should go back; find Thorn; leave Luke like he had left me. But I couldn't do that. There _had_ to still be some way I could save him.

I crouched next to him, tears rising in my eyes at the pain on his face. Had Kronos done this to him?

I reached out to stroke his cheek, but at the last second something stopped me. He tried to kill you, my logical half screamed. He probably _sent_ Thorn.

"What happened?" I asked, withdrawing my hand.

Luke moaned. His voice was thin and rough as he croaked, "They left me here. Please," he begged. "It's killing me."

Another part of me melted. Now he was paying for believing that Kronos would be fair. Would this make him come back? If I could save him, would he fight on our side?

"Why should I trust you?" I whispered. I knew I sounded about four, but I couldn't help it.

"You shouldn't," Luke wheezed. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

_Let him die!_ For a split second, I thought I heard Percy's voice. I scanned the hilltop, but we were still alone with the crushing blackness.

What was I supposed to do with it?

Suddenly, chunks of rock began falling from above. A ceiling of rock seemed to be sinking onto Luke. Instinct took over, and I charged forward, reaching up to hold it.

Rock slapped my palms, and agony tore through my entire body. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before.

That's when I realized I was holding the sky.

Through a curtain of pain that threatened to completely black out my vision, I saw Luke roll free. He lay still for a moment, panting. "Thanks," he said, rising unsteadily to his feet.

"Help me hold it," I begged, barely able to talk. The weight pushed me to my knees. My body felt like it was on fire. My joints were being torn apart, and my bones were splitting open.

"I knew I could count on you," Luke said. And then he turned and started walking away.

"HELP ME!" I screamed. I could hardly see him any more, just a sheet of red that I was kind of afraid was blood.

"Oh, don't worry," Luke said calmly. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."

The sky creaked above me, pressing harder as Luke's form shrank into the fog. I couldn't scream. Tears of pain, both physical and emotional, fell from my eyes, and I forced them shut. More then anything, I wanted to pass out, but I seemed unable to.

The entire world was pain.

And Luke was the cause of it.

* * *

><p>Time ceased to exist under the weight of the sky. Seconds, minutes, hours… It was all just one massive reality of pain. I drifted in and out of crazy hallucinations, all of which featured Percy and most of which included Thalia. Both of them usually ended up crushed. I <em>could not<em> drop the sky. I was holding it on shear willpower.

"How is our mortal guest?" a voice asked from the fog, pulling me out of my latest delusion. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the instinct to fight prodded at me, but I couldn't do it. It was all I could do to breathe.

Luke sprinted out of the shadows to my side. Save me, a voice in my head pleaded, sounding much younger than usual. I don't care what you've done, just please help me!

I didn't have the strength to say it out loud.

"She's fading," Luke said to whoever was behind him. "We must hurry."

Over Luke's shoulder, another figure appeared. My vision was so poor at this point, I couldn't recognize anything other than it was a girl and it was bound in chains.

"You heard the boy," the first voice said. "Decide!" Decide what? Was he talking to me?

The girl looked at me, eyes flashing. Even in my haze, I registered their color—silvery yellow like the moon. Artemis.

"How dare you torture a maiden like this!" she shouted.

"She will die soon," Luke said. How could he sound so calm? "You can save her."

They wanted Artemis to hold the sky, I realized. I tried to say no, warn her off, but the best I could manage was a tiny whimper.

"Free my hands," Artemis ordered.

Luke stepped away from me and drew Backbiter. He sliced through Artemis's chains, and she ran to my side. Very carefully, she eased behind me and took the weight off my shoulders.

I collapsed in a heap, tremors running through me. Blood roared in my ears, and my vision went dark for several seconds. When I was able to hear again, Artemis was saying, "—nothing of mercy, you swine."

The first voice answered smoothly, "On that, we can agree. Luke, you may kill the girl now."

"No!" Artemis shouted, her voice streaked with pain.

Fight, my brain cried. Fight him, Annabeth!

I couldn't do it. I no longer had control of my own body.

"She—she may yet be useful, sir," Luke said, sounding a little anxious for the first time. "Further bait."

Bait? Bait for who?

"Bah!" the other voice said. "You truly believe that?"

"Yes, General," Luke said, confident once more. "They will come for her. I'm sure."

Even in my weakened state, I understood that there were only two people he could be talking about.

Percy and Thalia.

Luke's hands slid under my shoulders and knees, and he lifted me from the ground. Finally, blessedly, I sank into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>As I rode Guido toward Olympus, I felt like I was falling apart. Playing in my head were images of Thalia and Luke fighting… Luke falling…<p>

The last shred of hope I'd had, that Thalia would be able to change Luke's mind, had been stomped out. It was almost like I was back on the top of Half-Blood Hill, watching someone I loved fall to the hellhounds.

I focused on Guido's mane. There was so much swirling around in my brain, I felt like I was going to be sick.

Luke could not be dead. I knew he wasn't. When Thalia had died, I _knew_. I didn't feel that now. I just felt totally panicked. If even Thalia couldn't change Luke… A spell. That was what it had to be. Just like with Aphrodite's scarf. That was it. Luke would _never _make me hold the sky... threaten me... hold his sword to my throat... of his own accord. We had to figure out how to break it. Then—then he'd be okay.

I knew Percy was mad when I told him as much. I wanted to take it back, to say I was sorry. But I couldn't. I can't explain the feeling I had, like the entire world rested on my getting Luke back, somehow saving him.

I realized I hadn't even asked Percy if he was okay after holding the sky, and another stab of guilt went through me.

And then the council started, and I forgot all about that. I was sick and tired of losing people. When the gods started talking about disintegrating Thalia and Percy, I felt like punching them all—including Mom. I didn't even realize until later that she gave me a compliment.

Artemis starting talking about Zoë, and I calmed down a little. There was a lot to be said for being a Hunter. I knew that. But it was permanent. I couldn't go back on a vow to Artemis. Whereas if I stayed mortal, I could always find Artemis again and join…

"Annabeth. Don't."

I turned to look at Percy. I figured he would be relieved, now that the gods had mostly settled that they weren't killing him, but he was petrified.

"What?"

"Look, I need to tell you something. I couldn't stand it if… I don't want you to—"

He looked absolutely green. "Percy?" What in the world could be wrong with him? "You look like you're going to be sick."

He seemed like he wanted to answer me, but he just stood there opening and shutting his mouth. What in the—wait. I glanced at Artemis and Zeus. I knew what they were talking about. She was going to ask Thalia to join the Hunt and save her from the prophecy. But Percy… Did he think…

I probably shouldn't have left that brochure in my backpack.

"I shall have a new lieutenant," Artemis announced. "If she will accept it."

"No," Percy moaned.

Artemis smiled. "Thalia, Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Percy's mouth flopped open, and he stun around to stare at Thalia.

What a Seaweed Brain.

I took Thalia's hand and gave it a quick squeeze, trying to hold back my tears. I'd been thinking about this for weeks, but I hadn't been prepared for just how much it would hurt. The old days were gone, and they weren't coming back. Thalia and I would always be friends, but we weren't always going to be together.

Her world had been shattered just as much as mine, and this was her chance to build a new one.

"I will," she said.

I glanced at Percy as she stepped forward. He was blinking rapidly, like he wasn't sure what just had happened.

I wiped at my tears. I was sure, now, that I wouldn't have been able to join the Hunt, even if I'd wanted to. Artemis didn't accept anyone who was even slightly interested in guys.

But… Was there anything _wrong_ with falling for a guy who held up the sky for you?

There is if he's going to die in the end anyway, a corner of my brain pointed out.

I shoved it away. Besides, the more I'd thought about joining the Hunt, the more I'd felt like maybe I didn't _want_ to be immortal. The Underworld may be pretty depressing, but at least people weren't trying to kill you every five seconds.

Maybe I could become a constellation, like Zoë.

That would be even cooler than being immortal.

* * *

><p>"<em>So. What did you want to tell me earlier?"<em>

"_I, uh, was thinking we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And… I think I owe you a dance."_

"_All right, Seaweed Brain."_

* * *

><p>AN: There you are. I really considered putting in the fight between Thalia and Luke, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off right. And like I said at the beginning, I had already added a _ton_. As you may have guess from the title, in the beginning this was just supposed to be about the Hunters. The only parts I originally had were the first bit about getting the brochure, and the last bit about the meeting on Olympus. (I know that's pretty weak, too. Sorry.) I kind of wish I could have left out more about arriving at Westover Hall and such, but I wanted to do the dance scene, and I couldn't think of a good place to splice it.

Again, thank you all for your lovely reviews. :) I've been slower responding to them this time around (like I said, crazy-busy) but I appreciate each and every one. Especially the long ones. ;) Please review again! For the first time, if you've subscribed and haven't yet. I realized had anonymous reviews turned off, so I switched those on. (One less excuse. :P)

Either way, reviews or subscriptions, thank you very much. :) I won't make any promises about the next oneshot, _Two Roads Diverged__, _other than that it will be up ASAP. Hopefully that will not be another two weeks. Thank you for bearing with me.

-Dovewings


	6. Two Roads Diverged

Title: Two Roads Diverged  
>Set: Between <em>The Titan's Curse <em>and _The Battle of the Labyrinth  
><em>Summery: He's hurt her, betrayed her, gone back on everything she thought he stood for. But she's tempted. And this time, either choice is permanent—she has to pick a path.

A/N: So. I'm sorry, RavenclawSeeker, but this isn't the kiss. Disappointing, I know. Next one is, and it's long again. Buuuut, I really, really wanted to put this in. I've read a couple of stories that include this scene on here, so I'm really, really sorry if my version is too close to any of them. I promise, I was copying unconsciously! I just wanted to do it badly. And again, I know this doesn't have much to do with Percy, but I felt like it was really important to Annabeth's whole... romantic arc. If that's what you want to call it. *Cough* So bear with me. I'm planning on doing updates each weekend, so you'll get more Percabeth next week.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Last Olympian _and _The Battle of the Labyrinth. _The title was inspired "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Just thought I'd put that in there for good measure. Please don't sue me, Frost. ;)

* * *

><p>"<em>Last year, Luke came to see me in San Francisco."<em>

"_In person? He came to your house?"_

"_This was before we went into the Labyrinth, before… He came under a flag of truce. He said he only wanted five minutes to talk. He looked scared, Percy."_

* * *

><p>Living in San Francisco wasn't as bad as I'd expected. My dad… He'd changed. Or maybe I'd changed, when I saw him flying to my rescue. Either way, something was different. Even my stepmom didn't seem so bad. She wasn't Athena, that's for sure, but she was kind of… supportive. Nice, even. And the boys were cute.<p>

Still, I could never quite relax. Every day, I spent at least a half-hour watching Mount Tam. Sometimes, in my nightmares, I would see the black palace up there, fully formed. Evil laughter filled the halls, leading to a black throne. But when I looked to see who was on the throne… I couldn't tell. He was shrouded in mist.

I was seriously hoping they were nightmare-nightmares, and not demigod-prophetical-nightmares. In my gut, though… I knew they would come true.

It was early March, about three months after we (or more accurately, Percy, Thalia, Artemis, Zoë, and Dad) had fought Atlas. I was hanging out in my room, cleaning my knife and adjusting the strap that held it to my arm.

The doorbell rang downstairs, and there was the usual stampede as my brothers tried to see who could get to the door first.

Those boys make more noise than a pack of hellhounds.

"Ann-ah-BEEEEEEEETH!" one of them screamed.

"It's for YOUUUUUUU!" the other finished. "It's a kid from Camp!"

I blinked. From Camp? Who else would be in San Francisco? I shoved my knife into its holder, leaving it on my arm, and headed for the stairs.

Bobby was at the bottom, looking up at me. "It's some guy," he informed me. "Ooh! Is he your _boyfriend_?"

I shook my head, sending my ponytail flying back and forth. "I don't have a boyfriend," I said, trying to disguise my curiosity. Percy would have told me if he were coming, so…?

Matthew was holding the door partially open, although his body totally filled the gap, pretty much defeating the purpose. I shook my head and tapped him on the shoulder. "Knock, knock."

He looked back at me, a grin lighting his face. "Annabeth, is he your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend!" I repeated, hoping I wasn't blushing. Way to start the conversation off on an awkward note, boys, I thought.

Then I looked through the gap in the door, and my blood turned to ice.

Luke Castellan was standing on my front porch.

Matthew was still between us. I grabbed him by the shoulders, struggling to stay calm. No matter what, I couldn't let him see me panic. "Guys," I said, trying to sound upbeat, "how about you go build a Lego tower? I'll help you in just a sec, okay?"

"Cool!" Bobby shouted, and they pelted off toward the den. My stepmom stepped out of the kitchen, a towel and wet pan in her soapy hands.

"Who's that, Annabeth?"

I swallowed hard, my hand on the half-open door. "I, uh… A guy from Camp. It'll just take a second." Before she could protest, I'd leapt out the door.

No matter what, I was _not_ going to let Luke hurt my family.

I went for my knife.

"Annabeth," Luke said, looking up from his feet. His eyes, so bright and happy in all my memories, were slightly glazed as they followed my hand. "Please, don't," he said hoarsely.

I studied him, and noticed for the first time that he was unarmed. I let my grip relax on the knife, but I didn't let go. "What are you doing here?" I made my voice cold and hard, but inside I was shaking.

What do you say when the guy who took care of you from the time you were seven, only to betray and try to kill you, turns up on your front porch?

"I… Five minutes," he croaked. He really did look horrible. His scar—I still felt so awful whenever I looked at it—stood out even more than before, if that was possible. His skin was ashen, and his hair almost white. What had Kronos done to him? "I just want five minutes. Please, just let me talk to you. I-I won't hurt you."

"You'd better not," I said. Every part of me was screaming: trick! Trap! Don't listen! But I wanted to.

For the first time, he looked me in the eye. Some of the weariness faded, and I could see the old sparkle. There was something else, too… longing?

"Kronos is getting stronger, Beth," he whispered. He hadn't called me by that name in so long...

"I knew that, thanks," I said. "I was stuck holding up the sky because of him, _remember_?" I touched the streak of gray in my hair. Luke's was so much worse… I couldn't bear to add 'because of you.'

He gazed at me desperately. The look reminded me so vividly of the night Thalia had transformed, I almost looked around for hellhounds. "I'm so sorry," Luke said. His voice sounded awful, like he'd had laryngitis or something for months. "Please, Annabeth… He's going to use me. He's going to take over the world. I'll be… I'll be a stepping stone."

I swallowed hard. The terror radiating from Luke was so strong, I really did want to go for my knife. Not to hurt him, but to get rid of whatever he was running from.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked him.

He took another step closer. If he'd wanted to, he could have grabbed my shoulders. If he was hiding a weapon anywhere…

"I'm running away."

"What?" I asked. Of all the things I'd expected to hear… that wasn't even on my radar.

"I'm running away," he repeated. "I want… I want you to come with me."

I stared at him in disbelief. Had I heard him right? He wanted me to—leave? To abandon everything for someone who had abandoned me?

"Please," he said again. He sounded near hysteria. "Annabeth, _please_. Help me."

I focused on the porch rail behind him, trying not to crumble. This was what I'd wanted… but it wasn't. I didn't feel joy, only terror and a heavy, heavy misery. Percy's face popped into my mind. What would he say if he knew I was even having this conversation?

"It'll be just like old times," Luke pleaded. "You and me."

How many times I had I wished for that? I seized the first comment that popped into my mind, stalling: "What about Thalia? It wouldn't—"

"She doesn't want us!" Luke shouted. I jumped in surprise, tightening my hand around my knife. I took a step back, and the doorknob poked me in the spine.

Luke drew in a deep breath, and when he spoke again, it was back in that strained almost-whisper. "Thalia's moved on, Beth. We lost her a long time ago. The two of us could make it."

I swallowed hard. My heart felt like it was breaking, but there could only be one choice. Luke had been my hero, but Thalia was the one who'd truly shown me how to live. It was time to let go of the old days.

"No."

Luke stared at me, his mouth falling open. "Wh…what?" he croaked.

I shut my eyes for a fraction of a second, forcing more strength into my voice. "No, Luke. I won't go with you."

His face darkened, and he stepped back.

I automatically came forward, closing the distance again. "Luke, listen! You don't have to leave. Come to Camp! We'll help you. Percy—"

"_Percy_," Luke spat. "What do you care about _Percy_?" He definitely wasn't whispering now, and a corner of my mind darted to my stepmom, in the kitchen. What the Hades was I going do if she came out to see what was going on?

"Percy is my friend," I said. "He—"

"I see." Luke laughed from someplace low and deep, sounding more like Atlas than the boy I'd known. "I've been replaced. Forget what Luke needs. It's all about _Percy_."

Something snapped inside me. Had Luke not _seen_ all the times I tried to save him? "At least Percy hasn't betrayed me!" I yelled.

Luke shook his head, his expression growing stormier and stormier. "Just fight me now, why don't you, _Beth_?" He was snarling the nickname now. It felt like a punch to the stomach.

"Luke, listen—"

"This is the last chance you'll get!" he shouted, holding out his arms. "Go on, Chase. Get your knife and kill me!"

"Stop it!" I screamed back, gripping my knife so hard my knuckles were turning white. "Just _stop_ _it_!"

Luke back down the porch steps, eyes hard, arms still out. "Last chance, Annabeth."

I swallowed hard. "Just get away from me," I whispered.

He snorted and shook his head. "Fine." He stopped, staring at me with a mixture of burning anger, misery, defeat, and… regret. That was it. It wasn't longing… It was regret.

"Goodbye, Annabeth Chase," he said.

I watched him until he turned out of sight, the hand on my knife shaking. Tears filmed in my eyes. Finally, I turned to go in. With a hand on the doorknob, I paused and looked to the end of the street one last time.

"Bye, Luke," I whispered.

* * *

><p>"<em>We know you, Annabeth. We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later.<br>__And the choice may kill you."_

* * *

><p>AN: There you have it. I actually really enjoyed writing this one, even as Annabeth and Luke screamed at each other. I don't know what it is about help-our-family-is-falling-apart scenes that make them flow so easily for me, but they do. *Shrug* Hopefully they don't also totally suck. :P

Anyway, thank you all very much for your continued support and reviews! I'd like to give special thanks to Aariya (J.C.) who always gives me really sweet reviews (that include catching typos - thank you!), and trusts me enough to tell me about her writing. :) LiveLoveTwix27 is also _awesome _about long reviews, and messages in general, and PercabethAndZebrasFTW's reviews always make me smile. Thanks to all three of you, and anyone else who reviews consistently! You guys are the best. :)

Next oneshot is called "Crumbling Pieces" and will be out, as I said, next weekend. Until then!

-Dovewings


	7. Crumbling Pieces

Title: Crumbling Pieces  
>Set: During <em>The Battle of the Labyrinth<br>_Summery: She's waited years for this. And she's failing miserably… She's let them all down. And she realized too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ belong solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Battle of the Labyrinth_.

* * *

><p><em>"Look, the point is, I have to go in. I'll find the workshop and stop Luke. And… I need help. Will you come?"<em>

_"I'm in."_

_She smiled for the first time in days, and that made it all worthwhile._

* * *

><p>I have absolutely <em>no<em> fondness for the Oracle of Delphi, okay? The Big House Attic is extremely low on my list of favorite places to be. Mount Othrys and the Underworld might be the only two that outranked it.

When I was up there to get a prophecy for my own quest… That was the worst. I pulled down the ladder slowly, trying not to let my hands shake. I wasn't doing such a hot job.

As soon as I started climbing, it was like a switch had been flipped in my head.

_A half-blood of the eldest gods,_

_Shall reach—_

"Stop it!" I shouted to the mummy in the corner. Her glassy eyes didn't move. I scrambled off the ladder and looked longingly back down at the hall. "I'm not here about that. I need… I need a prophecy for my quest. About the Labyrinth."

There was a long moment of silence. I fidgeted slightly, scanning the attic. There was Aphrodite's scarf. My brow wrinkled. Was that where I had put it? I thought—

Suddenly, the mummy lurched into a sitting position. Her mouth opened, and green mist began to swirl out. I went rigid. The mist hissed, twisting around my legs and up my side. I fought the urge to scream, pinning my eyes on the scarf.

Scarf, I chanted in my head. Scarf, scarf, scarf.

My chant was cut off by another voice, one that sounded like an empty snake skin when you step on it: I_ am the spirit of Delphi, Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, Seeker, and ask._

I swallowed hard. Forcing my voice to stay steady, I whispered, "What should I do to keep the Camp safe from… from attack?"

The mist twisted away from me, transforming into an eerie tunnel. I shuddered. The tunnel turned a corner just a few yards away, and even though it was an illusion, I had the feeling that there was something evil around the curve. Then the Oracle's voice began to echo from the depths, amplified as if a thousand spirits were inside.

_You shall delve into the darkness of the endless maze_

_The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise_

_You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand_

_The child of Athena's final stand_

_Destroy with a hero's final breath  
><em>

_And lose a love to worse than death._

And with that, the mist curled up and faded back into the mummy.

I stared at her for a long minute, trying to process her words. A final stand? And… someone was going to be lost? Who? What was worth than death?

Insanity, I thought, and instantly wished I hadn't. With how Chris was right now... Insanity could definitely be considered worse than death.

Tears filmed in my eyes, making me feel pathetic. I sniffed and wiped them away, but I didn't leave. I don't know what I thought I was waiting for. The Oracle to wake up and say, "Oh, sorry, Annabeth! I gave you the wrong one!"? How crazy was that?

Finally, my terror caught up with me, and I fled the attic.

* * *

><p>I tried to convince myself that I could handle this, that I hadn't made a mistake by asking Percy, Grover, and Tyson to come. Prophecies were always unclear, right? And the Oracle had not said "you shall" before "lose a love to worse than death." No problem. It wasn't me. It was…<p>

The hero? that ever-logical, ever-unhelpful side of my brain asked. No matter what I say to myself, I can never trick that little voice. Or perhaps the child of Athena? it went on. But wait… that's you, isn't it? You'll make a final stand.

"Argh!" I slammed my fists into my temples, trying not to let my hands shake. I could _do_ this, I really could.

I slowly lowered my hands, trying to turn my mind to the task at hand. It was free hour, so for once I had the Athena cabin totally to myself. I headed for our miniature library. It's kind of like our pet project. We have books and scrolls about almost everything, and I knew for a fact there were several on the Labyrinth. I'd collected them myself.

I ran a finger along the first shelf of scrolls, trying to remember where I'd put them. There's logicality to everything, I told myself. The prophecy isn't the issue. You're _going_ into the Labyrinth. You just need to make sure you don't let the others down.

_And lose a love to worse than death_.

I blinked, hard. "Stop it," I said out loud, hugging the scrolls to my chest. "It didn't mean _I'd_ lose someone. Worse than death was probably just a figure of speech. We'll be okay. We… we'll be okay."

I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. It didn't quite work. I was still shaking.

Stupid Oracle.

I finally found the scrolls I was looking for. I pulled a few off the shelf, frowning. The one that talked about navigation was… this one. But that other one said that navigation wasn't the issue, you needed—

"Knock, knock?"

I spun around, heart hammering against my chest. Percy took a quick step back in the doorway.

"Oh," I said. "… hi. Didn't hear you."

Percy took a cautious step into the cabin, eyeing me cautiously. I kind of understood that. With how close to panicking I was right now, I was sure I looked like a total mess.

"You okay?"

I sucked in a breath, staring at the scroll in front of me. No, I was not _okay._ How could I be okay? But I had a feeling that touching on that issue would be the push to send me over the edge.

"Just trying to do some research," I said. "Daedalus's Labyrinth is so huge. None of the stories agree about anything. The maps just lead from nowhere to nowhere."

"We'll figure it out," Percy said. He sounded so sure. I blinked, desperately trying to believe him. He looked so anxious, like all he wanted was to see me all right again…

"I've wanted to lead a quest since I was seven," I said, craving reassurance.

"You're going to do awesome," Percy said with conviction. When he talks like that, it's hard not to believe him. Still, the Oracle's warning rang in my ears. I thought of Chris, in the basement. I _knew _I needed my friends, but I couldn't imagine what I'd do if that happened to any of them.

"I'm worried, Percy. Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to do this. Or Tyson and Grover."

"Hey, we're your friends. We wouldn't miss it," Percy said softly.

"But…" The final line of my prophecy quivered on my tongue.

"What is it?" Percy asked. "The prophecy?"

How is that he can't keep up with things when I _want_ him to, but when I'm trying to hide something, he can magically read my mind? Gods!

"I'm sure it's fine." I sounded petrified. Okay, a skill I do not have when freaking out: lying to my friends.

"What was the last line?" Percy pressed, sea-green eyes worried.

I stared at him, the line on an echo in my head: _And lose a love to worse than death._

I fought the tears rising in my eyes. I'd hardly felt this way—desperate and close to breaking—since the Sea of Monsters, with the Sirens. And that time…

I held out my arms, suddenly craving a hug from Percy more than anything else.

He blinked for a second, and then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.

Forget relay races. My heart started doing every athletic event known to man. I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my head on Percy's shoulder.

"Hey, it's… it's okay." He patted my back. Now _he_ sounded nervous.

"Chiron might be right," I said. Was one of us going to be lost because I took three with me instead of two? "I'm breaking the rules. But I don't know what else to do. I need you three. It just feels right."

"Then don't worry about it," Percy said. He sounded like a tube of toothpaste on its last leg of life. "We've had plenty of problems before, and we solved them."

I've never had a prophecy flat-out telling me I'm going to lose someone I love, I thought. Out loud, I managed, "This is different. I don't want anything happening to…" I almost said _you_. I really did. Then I caught myself and finished, "any of you."

That was stupid. I loved all three of them. Not just Percy.

But hugging Grover and Tyson had never felt this warm and reassuring. And my heart's crazy antics… well, they weren't exactly unpleasant.

"Ahem."

My eyes sprang open, and Percy's arms tensed around me. Malcolm was in the doorway, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Um, sorry," he said to his feet. "Archery practice is starting, Annabeth. Chiron said to come find you."

Percy suddenly seemed to register that he was still hugging me, because he scrambled backward. My heart did a funny little drop.

"We were just looking at maps," Percy stammered.

I stared at him. Looking at maps? What kind of a Seaweed Brain-ed excuse was that?

"Tell Chiron I'll be right there," I said to Malcolm. He turned and fled.

I wiped away lingering tears. "You go ahead, Percy. I'd better get ready for archery."

* * *

><p>I did <em>not<em> appreciate the heat in Hephaestus's forge. I was instantly sweating all over. I clutched my hat, a feeling of dread worming its way through my stomach. I wished Tyson were here. At least he knew how to handle heat. For the thousandth time in about fifteen minutes, I regretted splitting up.

Percy and I stood on a ridge that encircled the forge, which was really just a network of metal bridges over a bunch of lava. On the central platform, a fairly large group of dark shapes scurried around. We were too far away to tell what they were.

"We'll never be able to sneak up on them," Percy said.

I glanced down at my knife and saw the curled-up metal spider on the floor. Steeling my nerves, I reached down and grabbed it, dropping it into my left pocket, since my hat was in the other. Wait! My hat…

"I can," I said. "Wait here."

"Hold it!" Percy protested, but I ignored him, slapping the hat on. Once again, the last line of my prophecy was floating through my head.

I was going to remember the stupid thing as along as I lived. Which, all things considered, might not be much longer.

I hustled left along the ledge, eyeing the central platform. I crossed on the first bridge I came to, staying near the edge. Experience had taught me that even when you're invisible, things can hit you. Hard.

Twice, a pair of the monsters ran by, and I held perfectly still for fear that they would hear me.

Smoke wafted up into my face, squeezing my throat tight. I pinched my lips closed. Coughing right now could be fatal.

I eased forward again. Four of the creatures were at the center of the platform, working on a long, glowing piece of metal. I couldn't tell what it was from the shape, but I knew it could not be good.

I crouched down behind a giant metal cauldron, feeling like I was melting. I _knew_ what those creatures were, I was sure of it. I just couldn't remember. The heat had erased the memory.

"You're sure the metals will fuse properly?" one growled.

"Aye," another answered. "We have nothing to worry about."

"We better not, you fool."

Their voices grated on my nerves, and I felt the invisible handle of my dagger. They were making a weapon, obviously, but for who? And it was still driving me crazy to not know what they were! Some daughter of Athena I was.

For several long minutes, nothing happened besides a lot of pounding and grunting. Two of the beasts had another growling conversation about metal and fusing, but since they were on the far side of the platform, I could only hear about half of it.

I skulked forward another few steps around the cauldron.

"Annabeth!"

I spun around in disbelief. Percy was sprinting toward me, eyes wild. He was covered in sweat and dirt.

_Di immortales, _does the boy not understand the term 'reconnaissance'? What was he _thinking_?

I lunged up as he passed, snapping a hand over his mouth. "Shhh!" I was so annoyed, it was hard to keep whispering. "You want to get us killed?"

Percy reached forward, bumping against my shoulder. He aimed higher and caught the bill of my Yankees cap, tugging it off. "Percy, what is your problem?"

He rushed out an explanation, something about a cart of metal and being discovered by a class of monsters. My anger faded, lost in the horror of an army of monsters coming our way. And if Percy hadn't been such a good fighter…

"So that's what they are," I said, trying not to panic. There was a way out of this. "Telkhines. I should've known. And they're making… Well, look."

Percy obeyed, and I stared at the back of his head. The Telkhines…

One of them started talking again, thankfully in hearing range. "The blade is almost complete. It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals."

Cooling in _blood_?

"Aye," one said again. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"What _is_ that?" Percy asked.

I shook my head, once more frustrated with not knowing. "They keep talking about fusing metals," I whispered, sharing the only information I had. "I wonder—"

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy interrupted. "And they… they said they made my father's trident." He gave me a slightly desperate look, as though begging me to reassure him that his dad hadn't done anything wrong.

"The telkhines betrayed the gods," I told him. "They were practicing dark magic. I don't know what, exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus."

"With Kronos."

I nodded, then glanced over my shoulder. We had what we came for: we knew who was using the forge. And if some monsters had really caught Percy… "We have to get out—"

At that instant, a door leading off the outer ledge burst open. Young telkhines swarmed out, getting tangled up in each other and looking around wildly.

Percy swallowed and turned to me. "Put your cap back on. Get out!"

"What?" Was he _crazy_? "No! I'm not leaving you." I felt like I was going to be sick. But one thing was for sure: if Percy was going down, I was going with him.

"I've got a plan," Percy said. His eyes hardened, a look I knew all too well. He was ready to fight. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider—maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed!"

"I'll be fine," Percy argued. "Besides, we've got no choice."

I glared at him, other plans flicking through my head. For once, he was right. If we both were caught, the Telkhines would be able to finish what they were doing, and help Kronos. I had to get to Hephaestus. If I was fast enough… Percy could hold them off. They would scatter when Hephaestus came.

But if I _wasn't_ fast enough… this could be it. I could be looking at Percy Jackson for the last time. This could be what the prophecy was talking about.

What happened next… Well… I guess the knowledge that someone you really, really care about might be about to die is even more powerful than scarf magic. Before I was even quite sure what I was going to do, I'd grabbed the front of his t-shirt. He gave me a startled look, but I didn't hesitate.

I smashed my lips to his.

Percy jumped, and I nearly lost my grip on his shirt. Every other thought had been thrown out of my head, and I teetered unsteadily on the balls of my feet. Percy's lips were abnormally warm, given that it was about a million degrees, but they felt _so_ incredible on mine.

Just as fast, I jerked backward, gasping a little. My head was spinning, and shocks of electricity were flying through me. Percy stared at me in complete, utter disbelief.

I took a deep breath and managed to speak without my voice shaking. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain."

I was seriously happy I had my hat.

Without another word, I spun around and tore for the exit. I felt incredibly strange, like I was floating outside my body. My lips were tingling, even though they'd touched Percy's for maybe a grand total of two seconds. He hadn't even moved the entire time.

But oh my gods, it had felt _amazing_.

And Aphrodite's scarf is nowhere in sight, that cursed, logical voice-in-my-head said.

Shut up! I screamed back at it. I'm allowed to kiss whoever I want!

I careened into the Labyrinth tunnel, trembling fingers practically turning my pocket inside out as I tried to get the spider.

It slid out of my grip and hit the ground, bouncing once. Its legs instantly popped out, and it took off down the tunnel. I sprinted after it, so shaken up it didn't even occur to me to be afraid.

Something roared behind me. "Don't go back!" I shouted at myself. "You _cannot_ go back!" My voice echoed in the empty tunnel, reinforcing the feeling that I had abandoned Percy.

To the spider, I said, "Run faster, you stupid thing!"

No matter what, Hephaestus was going to help me. He was _going_ to save Percy.

_And lose a love to a fate worse than death._

* * *

><p>This was <em>worse<em> than that stupid prophecy. It had said I'd lose _a_ love. Not all three of my best friends.

Not like this.

I lay face-down on my bunk, trying to think of something, anything happy. Nothing came to me. What had I _done_? In my mind, I saw Tyson and Grover, always so loyal, so loving, so…

A tear streamed down my cheek. And Percy…

Oh, my Percy.

"I'm sorry," I moaned. "I'm so, so, so sorry!" I wasn't even sure who I was talking to, but I needed to say it. "Please. Please, just, _please_, bring them back."

No one answered me.

I wished I'd never gotten a quest. More than anything, I wished that. I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. My head was throbbing, and I was late for archery again, but I couldn't move. It had been _two weeks_ since I left Percy. Hephaestus had sent me back to camp and ordered me not to leave.

It had been torture. I'd sat for _hours_ watching the Labyrinth entrance, but nothing ever happened. I felt like a puppet, going through the motions of camp. I had no appetite for food, and every time anything even a little bit funny happened, it was like getting stabbed in the gut.

I had fouled up beyond belief. I'd broken the rules, and as a result Grover, Tyson, and Percy were gone.

And who did this make the hero of the prophecy? Nico?

I felt like throwing up.

The sound of hooves made me turn. I blinked in disbelief. Chiron was standing in my doorway.

"What… what are you doing?" I croaked. He never came down to the cabins. At least, not _into_ them. Was skipping my pegasus riding lesson _really_ such a big deal? Excuse me if I didn't want to see Blackjack giving me his puppy-dog look. Again.

Chiron sighed, sounded absolutely exhausted. "Annabeth, child… It's been two weeks. The explosion…"

"No," I said, my stomach dropping. "No, no, no. Chiron!"

He sighed, his gaze drifting away. "If I could change things, I would. I'd never let any of you be hurt."

I pushed my hands over my face, shaking.

"It's been two weeks, Annabeth," he repeated. "It's time to accept the facts."

I shook my head, shoulders jerking rhythmically. I'd cried so much lately, it almost seemed like I shouldn't have any tears left, but they kept on coming.

I wished I'd stayed with Percy. At least we could have died together.

"Come, Child."

I rolled off the bunk, and Chiron lifted me onto his back. I struggled to get a grip on my tears. The least I could do for Percy was say something nice while… while we…

We reached the amphitheater, and I came forward numbly. Chiron started making a speech, but I hardly heard it. I stared at the sea-green shroud before me.

His eyes were greener.

It seemed like only seconds had passed when Chiron said, "I have asked his best surviving friend to do the honors."

I shuffled forward and took the shroud. My cabin mates had made it. I hadn't been able to bring myself to help, even though I knew they'd only done it for me.

"_Athena's no fan of Poseidon,_" a voice in my head said, _"but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."_

Yes. I did such a wonderful job with that.

I gritted my teeth and laid the shroud on the fire. The flames curled around it, and I turned away feeling like I'd just been punched in the throat.

I had to take three deep breaths before I could even talk. "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had," I croaked. The past tense verbs tasted bitter on my tongue. "He…" I managed to look up at the stands, and what I saw turned my blood to ice.

Percy Jackson was standing at the back of the amphitheater, staring at me in horror.

"He's right there!"

There was a general gasp of confusion. I felt light-headed, and for a second I thought I might actually faint. The feeling passed, however, and I charged forward, shoving people out of my way.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I screamed. My misery was quickly turning into fury. How dare he let me think he was dead? For two entire _weeks_!

I fought my way through the crowd around Percy. I tripped just as I reached him, and tumbled forward, smacking into his chest. Instead of pulling away, I threw my arms around him and squeezed hard, barely able to believe this was real. My arms and legs trembled with relief.

Percy was alive.

_Percy was alive!_

Then I became aware of everyone in Camp starting at me. Embarrassment surged through me as I realized how tightly I was hanging on to Percy. I shoved him away.

"I—we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

* * *

><p>"<em>But you'll be killed!"<em>

_"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."_

_Annabeth glared at me like she was going to punch me. And then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me._

_"Be careful, Seaweed Brain."_

* * *

><p>AN: So-o-o, a day late. I tried yesterday, but, trust me, with the way my editing was going, you should be glad I waited. :P I'm still not entirely sure this is as good as it _could_ be, in terms of word usage and such, but... Yeah. It is what it is. (Oh, and did you know that "eyeing" can be spelled "eying"? "Eyeing" is is in Word's dictionary, but apparently not Firefox's. I googled it, and there was something about "eyeing" being an American spelling, and blah, blah, blah... And I don't know where I'm going with this. :P Sorry if you're used to seeing it "eying", I guess.)

Apparently, a lot of people really liked _Two Roads Diverged_. I'll be honest, I wasn't expected nearly so many reviews. :D So thank you all! I'm so grateful for those of you that review chapter after chapter. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Much thanks, as well, to all those who have faved and subscribed. Every email alert brings a smile to my face. :)

Next oneshot: _Seeing Red_. ;) I'm still trying for the every-weekend thing, but it looks like I might be busy next weekend. I'll still try - it will be up eventually! Once again, thanks to all who are reading. And PLEASE review!

-Dovewings


	8. Seeing Red

Title: Seeing Red  
>Set: During <em>The Battle of the Labyrinth<em>  
>Summery: She should have known. Rachel is <em>pathetic<em>. Annoying, self-centered, and clueless. Just perfect for a demigod like him.

A/N: Another update! And early! I have a cold that's got me planted on the couch, and as such I was able to wiggle my way out of schoolwork and into editing. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Battle of the Labyrinth_.

* * *

><p>"<em>What did you do this time? And who is this?"<em>

"_Oh, Rachel—Annabeth. Annabeth—Rachel. Um, she's a friend. I guess."_

* * *

><p>Do you ever feel like you have something figured out, only to have it basically knock you down and stomp on you? Because that's what the rest of my quest with the Labyrinth felt like.<p>

First of all: I kissed Percy. That was… it was… Well, if we hadn't been about to die, I would have liked it to go on longer. A _lot_ longer. I wasn't even thinking about Aphrodite's scarf anymore. I just knew I liked Percy as way more than a friend.

But then he vanished for two weeks. I was sure, even if he hadn't said it, that he'd been on Ogygia. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the next thing he suggested was that we go get a mortal girl who flirted with him to lead us through the Labyrinth.

I hate my life.

I hate Rachel more.

I mean, seriously. Who, in their spare time, _paints herself gold_ and _pretends to be a statue_? Gods.

I felt like hitting someone. Rachel, Percy, Calypso… anyone! Percy hadn't even mentioned the scene in Mount St. Helens, like it had never happened. I mean, how much more obvious could I get? Did he want me to stand up and say: "I like you, Percy. Please ask me out"? I would have thought kissing him pretty much expressed that.

Apparently he prefers redheaded mortals who paint themselves gold over daughters of Athena who go through Hades with him.

"Hey, Percy," Rachel said, grinning.

I'm sorry, I thought. Am I not here?

"Let's get some coffee." Rachel led the way down the street, still painted gold. Percy was right on her heels. I walked a few yards behind, fuming.

I mean, if a girl and a guy have been best friends for almost four years, she should have claiming rights, shouldn't she?

Rachel had no idea who she was dealing with.

"So," Rachel said as we settled into a table, "it's Annabell, right?"

"Annabeth," I said, trying not to snap. I hate it when people call me Annabell. "Do you always dress in gold?" I asked, biting the straw in my mango smoothie to keep from adding anything else.

"Not usually," Rachel explained. "We're raising money for our group. We do volunteer art projects for elementary kids 'cause they're cutting art from the schools, you know?"

No, I didn't know. Nor did I really care.

"We do this once a month, take in about five hundred dollars on a good weekend. But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about that. You're a half-blood too?"

No. I'm a fish.

"Shhh!" I glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed her. It's kind of hard to miss someone who's painted gold. "Just announce it to the world, how about?"

Rachel stared at me, and I saw something strange in her eyes. Something that definitely didn't belong in the just-roll-with-the-punches attitude she was putting on. Was it… a challenge?

"Okay." I blinked. Rachel slid of her chair, gazed around the coffee shop once, and then practically shouted, "Hey, everybody! These two aren't human! They're half Greek god!"

There was a pause. I was in such a fury, I don't even remember if anyone looked. Rachel shrugged and took her seat again. "They don't seem to care."

"That's not funny," I said, trying not to snarl. "This isn't a joke, mortal girl." If any monsters were in the area, they were going to come running.

"Hold it, you two," Percy said, finally joining the conversation. About time. I didn't even want to look at him, for fear that I might explode. "Just calm down."

"I'm calm," Rachel said. "Every time I'm around you, some monster attacks us. What's to be nervous about?"

That just about put me over the edge. I took a big, long slurp of my smoothie. Rachel knew _nothing_ about Percy. _Nothing_. I was the one who'd stood by him for all these years, who—

"Look," Percy said. "I'm sorry about the band room. I hope they didn't kick you out or anything."

I wished they had.

"Nah. They asked me a bunch of questions about you. I played dumb."

"Was is hard?" I asked in the fakest sweet voice I could muster. We wouldn't want Little Miss Mortal to hurt herself!

"Okay, stop!" Percy said. I finally glanced over at him, and he did look pretty miserable. A fraction of my anger eased, but it returned as soon as he said, "Rachel, we've got a problem. And we need your help."

Did I miss the part where this became _his_ quest? Maybe Calypso gave it to him. (Please note the sarcasm here.)

"_You _need my help?" Rachel asked, looking at me. There was no mistaking the challenge now.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Maybe."

I hate mortals.

* * *

><p>So far, Rachel was doing a <em>fabulous<em> job of leading us. (Once again: sarcasm!)

The prophecy was in the forefront of my mind again. There are a lot of bad possibilities when you're captured in the Labyrinth. The hero might take a final breath beyond those doors. That had to be either me or Percy, and neither idea made me very happy. _I_ might be making a final stand. Also not a possibility I particularly relished. There was still the whole "worse than death" thing hanging over our heads.

And our getting caught was all Rachel's fault.

The Laistrygonian giant opened the doors and turned, grabbing my shirt and lifting me into the air. "You stay here," he said.

"Hey!" I protested, but there wasn't a lot I could do. He was roughly three times my size, and they'd taken my knife.

The _empousa_ still had her claws at Rachel's throat. In all fairness, I did feel bad about that. Sure, I wanted Rachel to go crawl in a hole and die, but getting your throat ripped out would not be fun, be you mortal or half-blood.

"Go on, Percy," the _empousa _purred. "Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave."

Percy's eyes were desperate. He scanned the tunnel and the doors before turning to us… And then he focused on Rachel. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'll get you out of this."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. What about me? I was supposed to get myself out? Or had I just been captured for him so many times it wasn't a big deal anymore?

"That would be nice," Rachel squeaked. I was still grappling with the fact that Percy had said it to her and not me, so I didn't have any attention left over to gloat over how pathetic and freaked she sounded.

Way to go, Seaweed Brain. I officially feel like I matter now.

Percy led the way into the arena. In the center were a giant and a center, engaged in combat. This could _not_ be the place I was thinking of. I thrashed against the giant holding me, but he didn't loosen up, instead rearranging his grip so it was tighter.

"Luke," Percy said. I barely heard him over the screaming crowd, but that single word turned my blood to ice. I followed his gaze, and my heart sank down to my dangling toes.

Luke smiled coldly at Percy. I was shaking so hard, I couldn't think of anything to say. What was he doing here? How could he be a part of this? Wasn't… Didn't… He'd said he was running away!

The centaur crashed to the floor in front of Percy, and I jumped in the giant's hands. "DEATH!" the crowed screamed.

I stared at Luke in disbelief. He wasn't doing anything, just sitting there coolly. As if he watched creatures who hadn't done anything wrong die in this horrible way all the time.

The giant seated next to Luke grinned cruelly at the centaur, even as he turned his thumb down. I closed my eyes. Still held by the _empousa_, Rachel let out a low cry. For once, I agreed with her completely.

I kept my eyes closed all through the following conversation between Luke and the giant, Antaeus. So that was it. We were in Antaeus's arena, and Luke wanted passage through. Where—

"I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now," Luke said. My eyes sprang open.

Oh, gods, no. Please.

"I have a brother of yours." Luke pointed. "Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon."

Rachel made a funny noise, and I wondered if Percy had gone into specifics about his dad.

"A son of Poseidon?" Antaeus was all but licking his chops. "Then he should fight well! Or die well!"

I'd like to show you dying well, I thought, jerking against my Laistrygonian captor again. No surprise, he didn't move.

"If his death pleases you," Luke asked, "will you let our armies cross your territory?"

This could not be happening. What was he thinking? He'd said he was sorry! I'd thought… I'd thought he could get away. That Kronos would have to find a new lapdog.

"Luke!" I screamed. "Stop this. Let us go!"

I was vaguely aware of Rachel looking at me like _keep your mouth shut!_, but I was mostly focused on Luke. He actually looked startled to see me. What, did he think Percy was going to go trolling through the Labyrinth _without_ me?

"Annabeth?"

"Enough time for the females to fight afterward," Antaeus said, cutting us off. "First, Percy Jackson, what weapons will you choose?"

The _dracaenae _shoved Percy into the middle of the arena. "How can you be a son of Poseidon?" Percy asked in disbelief.

Really? That was what he was concerned about? No offense to Poseidon or anything, but he has kids with _everyone_. There was bound to be a bad one in the bunch.

Especially Antaeus.

"Percy!" I said, squirming again. "His mother is Gaia! Gai—"

The giant holding me slapped a hand over my mouth. I bit him, but he didn't even flinch. Gods, I hate Laistrygonians.

I could hardly see Percy's fight over the giant's fingers. Have you ever tried watching your best friend fight to the death when you can only see about half of the arena? Because let me tell you, it is _not_ pleasant.

I scanned everything I could see, desperate for a plan, but nothing came to mind. Percy pretty much had to kill or be killed, and I had no doubts that Antaeus was just going to keep bringing in more opponents for every one he beat.

We had no chance.

And then Percy challenged Antaeus, totally ignoring my frantic signals not to. I sagged in the giant's grip. This was it. He had no chance of beating a son of Gaia on a dirt floor.

Once again, Percy was going to die. And there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

I could still only see part of the fight. I did, however, see Antaeus get cut. The dirt swirled up to heal him, and my last hopes drained away. Was I going to be next? Were they even going to make _Rachel_ fight?

How could Luke do this to me?

Suddenly Percy appeared in my line of vision, climbing on the chains hanging from the ceiling.

What the Hades…? I gasped. Wait! Percy… Oh my gods! He was getting Antaeus off the ground!

Go, I silently chanted. Go, go, go!

He taunted the giant, and Antaeus climbed up after him.

"Yes!" I whispered aloud. The Laistrygonian squeezed me, but he was too riveted by the fight to do much more.

I'll admit, Percy is a good climber. He almost looked possessed as he whirled through the chains, tying Antaeus up. Finally, he dropped back to the floor, out of my sight. _Stupid _Laistrygonian.

"Get me down!" Antaeus roared. He looked pretty ridiculous, thrashing around up there. It was almost enough to make me smile.

"Free him!" Luke shouted, and any traces of a smile were gone. "He is our host!"

"I'll free him," Percy said. There was a _whoosh_ I recognized as Riptide being uncapped. I saw the tip of the blade as it plunged into Antaeus's stomach.

Yes! I thought. However, my elation quickly faded. Antaeus was done for, but there were roughly two hundred other creatures in the stands, none of whom were going to be happy that their host was dead. Rachel and I were still prisoners. And Luke was going to lose it.

"Jackson! I should have killed you long ago!" he shouted. Yep. He was mad.

"You tried," Percy pointed out. Briefly, I wondered what Rachel was thinking about all of this. Percy hadn't mentioned Luke's history in his rapid-fire Labyrinth Recap. "Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

Right. The odds of Luke honoring that were about 0%.

"Antaeus is dead," Luke said. Couldn't have seen that coming. "His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have you killed quickly." Once more, I felt utterly hopeless. This was _not_ where I wanted to die.

"Spare the girl," Luke said. I still couldn't see, so it took me a second to realize he meant _me_. I stiffened. "I would like to speak to her before—before our great triumph."

I'll admit, a large part of me instantly wanted to know what he had to say. Badly. Maybe this wasn't what it seemed. Maybe he was bluffing and would help us. After all, he could have just killed Percy himself. So maybe…

All around us, weapons were drawn. Or maybe not.

The Laistrygonian finally released my face, and Luke came back into view. Percy was staring around the arena wildly. Then, something seemed to occur to him. He plunged his fingers into his pocket and pulled out… a whistle?

Everyone stared as he raised it to his lips and blew. It didn't make a sound, but crumpled into ice and melted away.

Luke laughed, that horrid, Atlas-like laugh. I felt like I would shatter the same way as the whistle. "What was that supposed to do?"

Just then, the Laistrygonian yelped and dropped me. I hit the arena floor hard, already scrambling for my knife and hat, sitting just behind me.

"_AROOOF_!" Mrs. O'Leary, Quintus's hellhound, seized the _empousa_ that had been holding Rachel. She screamed as she also went flying through the air, straight into Luke.

Where in the—

"Let's go!" Percy shouted. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!"

The whistle!

"The far exit!" Rachel screamed. "That's the right way!"

The guy Percy had beaten but not killed before followed as we charged out of the arena.

"This way!" Rachel shouted, like we weren't all already following her.

"Why should we follow you? You led us straight into that death trap!" I shot back, trying to hold in a lot more.

"That was the way you needed to go," Rachel said. Oh, because she knows so much about it. "And so is this. Come on!"

* * *

><p>I was so tired, I just wanted to collapse. I didn't even have the energy to analyze Ethan's behavior or try to figure out what it meant. I never liked him, anyway. If he wanted to throw his life away, that was his problem.<p>

Percy made a fire, and the three of us settled around it. The scene in the arena kept replaying in my head.

"Something was wrong with Luke," I said, hoping against hope that Percy would have seen the same things I did. Luke never sat back and let others fight for him. Even if he didn't have his own sword, he could have borrowed one. "Did you see the way he was acting?"

"He looked pretty pleased to me," Percy said, eyes sparking with anger. They looked exactly like the Long Island Sound before a hurricane. "Like he'd had a nice day torturing heroes."

"That's not true!" I wanted _so badly_ to believe that we could still help him. "There was something wrong with him. He looked… nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something."

Percy all but snorted. "Probably, _'Hi, Annabeth! Sit here with me and watch while I tear your friends apart. It'll be fun!'_"

"You're impossible." My heart sank even farther. Why had I thought this would help? Our conversations about Luke always turned into fights.

"So which way now, Sacagawea?" I asked Rachel, more for a change of subject than anything else. I bet Sacagawea never tried to steal somebody else's crush, I thought darkly.

Sacagawea was married, the logical voice pointed out.

"We'll follow the path," Rachel said. "The brightness on the floor."

"The brightness that led straight into a trap?" That seemed like a good idea.

"Lay off her, Annabeth," Percy said. "She's doing the best she can."

I felt like throwing something at his head. Instead, I got to my feet. "The fire's getting low. I'll go look for some more scraps while _you_ guys talk strategy." I wished I'd let someone else—_anyone else!_—take this stupid quest.

The light of the fire faded, and I left Percy and Rachel alone behind me. My shoulders slumped, and I felt like crying. Tyson and Grover were still missing. Luke was in a desperate situation. His words came back to me… _"I'll be a stepping stone."_

I sniffed. I _knew_ I should have told Percy or Chiron (probably both) about Luke's visit, but I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it. There had to still be a way I could save him. There _had_ to be.

And then we had to add Rachel to the mix. A tear glided down my cheek. It wasn't fair. Couldn't something be simple in my life? Just for _once_? Couldn't I matter to someone else more than anything? More than the Hunters, more than Pan, more than Kronos?

Apparently not.

I hate mortals.

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm sorry. I—I should get back. I'll keep in touch."<em>

"_Listen, Annabeth—"_

"_You'd better get going. Take care, Seaweed Brain."_

* * *

><p>AN: Mortal-bashing. ;) This was fun to write, just cause it got me all charged up. I might have gone into more with Ethan and Luke, but... I wanted this to be mostly about Rachel, and... I was being kinda lazy. :P I probably should have done the part where Luke turns into Kronos, but... I didn't.

I love the scene in Antaeus's arena. Like, seriously. Even more so now that HoO is out. It's funny, though, that in BoL, Gaia is spelled with an _i_, but in HoO, it's spelled with an _e_. Gaea is how they spell it in, like, Pangaea and stuff... Okay, I have got to shut up with these random spelling facts. :P

So, if I'm still sick over the weekend, you might get yet another oneshot, _Hero's Soul_. We'll see how everything works out. As usual, a thousand thanks to all my reviewers. You're so sweet to me! My family thinks I'm going nuts with the way I dive for my phone every time it beeps. I just _love _getting alert emails from FFN. ;)

-Dovewings


	9. Hero's Soul

Title: Hero's Soul  
>Set: During <em>The Last Olympian<br>_Summery: She's always known this was coming. One way or another, he's going to fall. So now that the time has arrived, why does she feel so unprepared?

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Last Olympian._

* * *

><p>"<em>How? Look at our camp. We can't even stop fighting each other. And I'm supposed to get my stupid soul reaped."<em>

"_I knew we shouldn't have shown you the prophecy. All it did was scare you. You run away from things when you're scared."_

"Me?_ Run away?"_

"_Yes, you. You're a coward, Percy Jackson!"_

* * *

><p>So maybe that was a tiny bit unfair. When it comes to battle, Percy is never a coward. But with other things... I mean, he still has not even mentioned the scene in Mount St. Helens. How is that not cowardly?<p>

And now he was talking about how all we did was fight each other, and how we should take _Rachel's_ advise!

I felt like hitting something. The tetherball served my purpose fine. I whacked it as hard as I could as I passed, but the spinning ball did little to relieve my pent-up stress. I wished it were Kronos's head. The head he'd had _before_ he possessed Luke. Although, technically, I guess he didn't have one… Ugh! Never mind!

I stormed into the strawberry fields, barely avoiding a few plants. The last thing I needed was Pollux hollering at me about squashed fruit.

I made my way to the edge of the woods and plopped down against a tree, holding back the urge to punch it. I was pretty sure a dryad didn't live in this one, but with my luck…

In the back of my mind, a cold, hoarse voice that sounded a lot like the Oracle's whispered, _A half-blood of the eldest gods, Shall reach sixteen against all odds—_

"Shut up," I snapped out loud, leaning my head back against the truck.

"What did I ever do to you?" a sharp voice demanded.

I raised my head a little and found a dryad glaring at me. Crap. What did I tell you? Hopefully this wasn't her tree.

"I wasn't talking to you," I muttered darkly, returning my head to its former position.

The dryad hissed something under her breath about "obnoxious, angsty campers" and swept away.

"Excuse me if I have a _little trouble_ dealing with the fact that Percy has to die or the world is going to end," I growled. She was gone, though. That was probably a good thing. This was not something I wanted to discuss with a random stranger. Especially not a grouchy dryad.

The voice was repeating again, sounding as gleeful as a raspy, dead mummy possibly can:

_A half-blood of the eldest gods  
>Shall reach sixteen against all odds<br>And see the world in endless sleep  
>The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap<br>A single choice shall end his days  
>Olympus to preserve or raze.<em>

"There," I said out loud, crossing my arms and glaring at the sky above me. "You finished. Are you happy?"

There was silence.

What am I _doing_? I thought to myself. The Oracle was up in the attic. It—_she?_—could not hear me. _Or _be talking in my head. I was going crazy.

I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them. I couldn't _afford_ to go crazy. Hades, I couldn't even afford to have any qualms about Percy's death!

But I did. A _lot_ of them. I felt like I was on the edge of a crumbling cliff. Percy had to die, or the world would end. And either way, I was falling.

I sniffed and looked toward the Big House. The attic window was as still and silent as ever. I pictured the room beyond, that stupid mummy on her stool and forgotten quest treasures all around her.

Aphrodite's scarf was still up there.

I rubbed a finger along my jeans. I shouldn't have bothered taking it. Somewhere, deep inside, I'd known it all along. My feelings for Percy had nothing to do with a perfumed scrap of pink material.

I'd let myself fall for a boy who was destined to die.

And the thing was, I believed he could return my feelings, even if he _was_ about to die. Maybe that's not the drama-queen, Aphrodite girl thing to say ("OMG, what if he doesn't like me back?") but I've watched him lately. Just five minutes ago, he'd been staring at me like a complete doofus.

But of course, the next thing he did was talk about Rachel. Whatever feelings he may have for me, she was trying her hardest to change his mind and make him like her. She wasn't doing too bad a job, either. I wondered, briefly, what Rachel would say if she knew that Percy was going to die.

Probably something stupid and fakey.

I had already let him know how I felt. I say again: you can not get anymore obvious than kissing somebody, even if it was for a grand total of two seconds and the next thing you did was run out on them. It was his turn to make a move, and it had better be a good one.

It didn't look like he was going to do it.

I ripped out a handful of grass and threw it as far as I could, then remembered to look around for any dryads. They would probably freak out on me over that, too.

I pushed a hand against my forehead, looking toward the Big House again. I couldn't keep sitting here. I had stuff to do, weapons to clean, battle plans to go over…

Still, I stayed where I was for another long minute, staring out at the sea. Finally, I dragged myself up and headed back toward the cabins. Once more, a cold voice inside my brain chanted, _A half-blood of the eldest gods, Shall reach sixteen against—_

"Stuff it!" I screamed, loud enough to turn the heads of several campers in the dining pavilion. I ignored them, nearly running for my cabin. I had to get over this. Whether I liked it or not, I had to let go. This was not the time to go boy-crazy. It was too late for anything with Percy.

It was time to go to war.

* * *

><p>"<em>You know… This whole thing with Beckendorf and Silena. It kind of makes you think. About… what's important. About losing people who are important."<em>

"_Um, yeah. Like… is everything cool with your family?"_

* * *

><p>AN: I hate to say it, but this is probably one of the weakest oneshots in this series. I'm sorry! I have two others for TLO, so at least I don't feel like I've totally messed up the book, but this... I don't know. I feel like it's needed to kind of... set up the scene, I guess. But I don't think I've quite pulled it off. I'm kind of tempted to just plunge right into editing the next one so I have something else to post with it. But seeing as I have tons of makeup work to do, that's probably not going to happen...

Anyway. Once again, thank you all _so much _for your reviews. I cannot tell you how impossibly encouraging they are. :) I smile like an idiot whenever I read one. (Then have to awkwardly explain that I'm reading my email when everyone notices and is all "...?")

I have an event next weekend, so I might be late with the update. Again. (Oh, and the reason I'm late on this one is FFN, for inexplicable reasons, _would not_ load yesterday evening. Seriously. I was in the middle of answering PMs and it just kicked me off.) But the next oneshot is called _More Than Luck_, and will be up ASAP.

No random spelling facts for this one... But I think I've rambled enough as it is. :P What can I say? I ramble.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! Virtual candies for all. ;) *Passes them around*

-Dovewings


	10. More Than Luck

Title: More Than Luck  
>Set: During <em>The Last Olympian<em>  
>Summery: She didn't even think about it—the response was automatic. But she didn't mind so much afterward, because his attention was solely on her. And he looked miserable.<p>

A/N: GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Okay, sorry. Just had to get that out. I've had this ready for a _week_, but my computer went _mental_. It refused to access the Internet for more than about thirty seconds at a time. And that was rare. So I've had this oneshot ready for days (and the next one is, too, now) and no way to post it or even email to myself to upload from another computer. Incredibly frustrating! Buuuuut I'm ranting. So, yeah. Sorry about that. I've just been waiting for days and days to share this. Read on:

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. (Save for the briefly mentioned OC children of Athena.) _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Last Olympian._

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't I get a kiss for luck? It's kind of a tradition, right?"<em>

"_Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we'll see."_

* * *

><p>It was a lame attempt, and we both knew it. But at least it <em>was <em>an attempt.

Maybe it wasn't too late for us, after all. Either way, it wouldn't matter if Percy was only going to be stupid. Walking alone to fight an entire bridge full of invaders, whether you're invulnerable or not, most definitely qualifies. With so many enemies all around, there was a high chance someone was going to hit his heel. (Or whatever weak spot he had chosen. I was seriously hoping he hadn't been stupid enough to use his actual Achilles' heel as his Achilles' heel, but with Nico and Percy, you never quite knew.)

Even that thought was driven from my head as the battle started. Any monsters that got past Percy, toward the city, the Apollo cabin and I pounced on. Whenever I wasn't fighting, I would look over to check on Percy. He was spinning through the enemy ranks like a wild thing, slashing and hacking and killing invaders right and left.

There wasn't a scratch on him.

Finally, the monsters had the sense to retreat.

"Yes!" Michael Yew, the Apollo counselor, shouted. "That's what I'm talking about!"

If I hadn't been so busy catching up to and finishing off a hellhound, I would have screamed something similar.

We drove the enemy closer and closer to Brooklyn. I glanced over my shoulder, taking in the deserted Williamsburg Bridge. If they got reinforcements, and _we_ had to run, we'd never make it to safety.

Percy did not seem to be of this opinion. He actually looked pretty scary as he swung Riptide, killing any and all monsters within reach. He'd reach a dangerous place, where your brain gets so far into the fighting gear that you can't shut it off. With regular a demigod, once you reached such a point, you'd begin to get sloppy and probably be killed. That was the darker side to the curse of Achilles. Being invincible could cause a complete loss of your sense of mortality.

"Percy! You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!" I shouted at him.

For a long moment, Percy ignored me, continuing on his killing spree. I looked past him, and caught sight of a crowd at the base of the bridge. Instead of monsters, it was a group of… demigods. Under Kronos's banner.

I staggered, giving an _empousa _time to escape. The leader of the horseman rode forward, and removed his helmet.

Luke.

Except it also _wasn't_ Luke. Even from so far away, I could see that the rider's eyes were golden. My arms drooped, my knife suddenly feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds.

None of that! my logical side shouted. Buck up, girl!

I shuddered and lifted my weapon again.

"Now," Percy said, "we pull back."

Duh.

The new arrivals charged as we began to retreat. All around me, the Apollo campers drew back their bows. A line of arrows soared toward the approaching enemy, but there was no way it was enough.

"Retreat!" Percy shouted. "I'll hold them!"

Oh, right.

Instead of going back, I took two steps forward, so I was by Percy's side, and twirled on heel. I raised my shield and knife. If I was going down, it sure as Hades wasn't going to be while I was leaving Percy behind. I learned that lesson in Hephaestus's forge.

The first sword hit my shield, and from there I went into fight mode. I systematically sized up each soldier I saw, finding weak points and analyzing the best strategy for exploiting them.

I faced the city, so I couldn't see Kronos, but I could _feel_ him advancing. I had to remove myself from the situation: not see that monster as Luke or these demigods as my former friends, but soldiers who wouldn't hesitate to kill me.

I wondered if any of them were regretting it now.

I wondered if Luke even _could_.

And then it was the strangest thing. It felt like a switch had been flipped in my head. All of my thoughts about strategy and how to get out of this situation vanished, replaced by an emanate sense of danger and a single word: _Percy_.

I flung myself sideways, just as an enemy demigod aimed a knife at Percy's back.

My shield was on my other side, and there wasn't time to raise it. The knife flew straight into my arm. I screamed shrilly, a noise I normally reserved for spiders. It felt like the blade was on fire. I barely had time to resister the word _poison_ before I was hitting the pavement.

Through a fuzzy curtain, I saw Percy smash the hilt of his sword into my attacker's helmet, so hard he left a dent.

"Get back!" Percy roared, sounding like a completely different person. He slashed his sword in a wide arch, forcing more enemies back. "No one touches her!"

"Interesting."

I winced, curling against the pavement and cradling my arm to my chest. Kronos's voice. I could hear echoes of Luke's, and it felt like another knife.

Pathetic, a voice in my head whispered, sounding almost like… the Oracle of Delphi. You can't even get off your bloody butt to help your friend?

A flash of anger surged through me. Why I was suddenly angry at a mummy who was miles away, I don't know, but it helped to clear my head.

"Bravely fought, Percy Jackson," Kronos said. "But it's time to surrender… or the girl dies."

I couldn't decide which was worse: the boy that had been Luke threatening to kill me, or Kronos offering up the one deal my Seaweed Brain might actually take.

"Percy, don't," I managed.

He looked down at me, all traces of a wild fighter gone. He was a petrified almost-sixteen-year-old.

"Blackjack!" he cried.

Something seized the straps of my armor, and suddenly the pavement was gone from under me. Or at least, it wasn't directly under me. Water was down there, by several yards…

"Blackjack," I managed.

Then I passed out.

* * *

><p>I came to on the terrace of the Plaza Hotel. Silena Beauregard was crouched over me, wiping my face. Someone had removed my armor and tied a cloth around my wound.<p>

It still felt like my arm was on fire.

"Annabeth," Silena said. She was practically in tears. Through the pain, I felt a glimmer of sympathy for her. She was falling apart without Beckendorf. It was so unfair…

"Annabeth!" another voice cried.

I managed to look past Silena and saw Evelyn there, flanked by Simon and Malcolm. All three looked horrified.

I shivered as another gust of pain rippled up my arm.

Simon carried an awkward bundle of blankets in his arms, obviously grabbed from a nearby room. He gently draped them over me.

"What happened?" Evelyn demanded.

I couldn't come up with a response for that. The rest of my cabin filled in behind Malcolm. They were scraped up, but none looked as bad as I did.

"Is she going to be okay?" Margret, one of my youngest siblings, asked Silena. She was barely thirteen, and here she was fighting a war.

"I'll be fine," I managed to croak. "We—"

"All of the Apollo campers are still on the Williamsburg Bridge!" Hannah exploded. "There's no one to heal you!"

The mention of the bridge went through me like a shot. "Percy!" I gasped, lurching to a sitting position and sending a new wave of fire through my body. A thousand images from the battle flashed in my head. What if—

Half the cabin scrambled forward, but Silena was already pushing me down. "Leave it, Annabeth," she whispered.

"But Kronos was—"

"Leave it," Silena repeated, her voice dull. "You can't help him now."

I had a feeling she wasn't talking about Percy so much as Beckendorf. I swallowed hard. Percy couldn't die yet. He _couldn't_. He wasn't sixteen for two more days! Or maybe one more, if it was almost morning…

"You know he won't stay away long," Evelyn said, trying to be comforting.

Simon snorted. "If he's dead, he won't have a ch—"

"If Percy's dead, we're all screwed anyway!" Eldrian snapped.

On cue, the door sprang open, and Percy shoved Hannah and Simon out of his way. He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw me. "Annabeth…" he choked.

Will Solace, from Apollo, ducked around him and knelt to unwrap my bandage, bringing on another round of pain.

"Poison on the dagger," I managed to say to Percy. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Percy looked like he was going to be sick. It reminded me of that time on Olympus, when he'd thought I was going to join the Hunters.

It was funny. In all of our adventures, all my agonizing about the prophecy and wishing for a way to change it, I'd never considered that I might die before him.

Will let out a relieved sigh. "It's not so bad, Annabeth. A few more minutes and we would've been in trouble, but the venom hasn't gotten past the shoulder yet. Just lie still. Somebody get me some nectar," he finished.

Simon moved to grab a nearby canteen, but Percy beat him to it, looking desperate to do something.

Percy balanced on the edge of the couch, handing Will the canteen and taking my hand in the same motion. I was in so much pain, even that didn't feel as good as it should have.

Will poured the nectar on my wound, and I fought the urge to scream, instead clutching Percy's hand tighter and tighter. It felt like Will was pouring lava into me, reigniting the fire from the poison.

"Ow. Ow, ow!" There were a lot of other things I wanted to scream, but I was in so much pain I couldn't force them out.

"Shh," Silena whispered, laying a cool hand on my forehead. "Hang in there, Annabeth. You're okay. Will's got this."

Will sang a hymn to Apollo, although I missed most of it. Finally, he got some fresh bandages and wrapped up the wound. The pain started to ebb. I leaned my head back, fighting some leftover tears.

Dimly, I heard a conversation swirl around me about supplies and injuries. Percy twisted around to listen, but he didn't let go of my hand. Jake Mason, from Hephaestus, clapped him on the shoulder as he left. "We'll talk later, but it's under control. I'm using Annabeth's shield to keep an eye on things. The enemy withdrew at sunrise; not sure why. We've got a lookout at each bridge and tunnel."

"Thanks, man," Percy said.

He nodded. "Just take your time."

Over his shoulder, I watched as my siblings filed back into the hotel. Margaret gave me one last look, and I tried to smile. She nodded in return, and the door clicked shut.

"This is all my fault," Silena said desperately, replacing the cloth on my forehead.

"No," I managed to whisper. "Silena, how is it your fault?" It was no one's fault but Kronos's.

Silena sniffed, and I could sense that she was ready to break. It wasn't a stupid kind of breaking, either, but the kind that came from having your world ripped from under your feet. I wondered how she was going to go on, after this. Assuming we won. I couldn't imagine her with any guy but Beckendorf. Just trying made me feel miserable.

"I've never been any good at camp," Silena said. "Not like you or Percy. If I was a better fighter…"

"You're a great camper," Percy said softly. From the way he was looking at Silena, I had a feeling he was thinking along the same lines I was. "You're the best pegasus rider we have. And you get along with people. Believe me, anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent."

I twitched a smile at that, although the thought of Clarisse frustrated me. Here we all were, risking our lives simply because we had no choice, and she was sulking at camp like a four-year-old.

Silena's eyes lit up. That is, they lost some of their deadness. I doubted I'd ever truly see her "light up" again. "That's it!" she said. "We need the Ares cabin. I can talk to Clarisse. I _know_ I can convince her to help us."

Could she? I mean, Silena seriously _was_ great with people, but considering that Clarisse wasn't already here supporting her best friend…

A slight frown played on Percy's face. "Whoa, Silena. Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn. Once she gets angry—"

"Please," Silena begged. It occurred to me that sending her might be better than keeping her here. The chance to do something had at least gotten a spark of life out of her. "I can take a pegasus. I _know_ I can make it back to camp. Let me try."

Percy glanced at me. I nodded, trying to move my head as little as possible.

Still he hesitated, studying Silena reluctantly. "All right," he finally said. "I can't think of anyone better to try."

Silena flung her arms around him. I saw her shoulders tremble slightly and wondered if she was about to burst into tears. She lurched back just as suddenly, and glanced at me. "Um, sorry," she said. If I could have, I would have laughed. Her hug was purely sisterly—that much I knew. "Thank you, Percy! I won't let you down!"

She fled the terrace, moving much more like the Silena I had always known.

As soon as she was gone, Percy scooted closer to me. His face was a knot of worry. He brushed my forehead gently, and tingles ran down my spin, managing to cut through the pain.

"You're cute when you're worried," I told him. "Your eyebrows get all scrunched together."

There. A return for the bridge thing. And it was true… For a fraction of a second, Percy smiled, but it faded at once.

"You are _not_ going to die while I owe you a favor," he told me. "Why did you take that knife?"

"You would have done the same for me," I pointed out.

Percy's gaze slid away from me, to the tiled floor. "How did you know?" he whispered.

I blinked, not sure if I'd heard him right. "Know what?" That he would take a knife for me? What kind of stupid question was that?

Percy glanced all around, and then he shifted even closer to me. "My Achilles spot," he whispered. "If you hadn't taken that knife, I would have died."

A chill ran down my spin. I'd almost forgotten about the Achilles thing.

"I don't know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger," I told him. Flashes of a dream from last night echoed in my head, having something to do with this, but I was too tired to puzzle out where it might fit in. "Where… where is the spot?"

Okay, maybe that was a nosy question, but if I had to take any more knives, I wanted to make sure I was doing it with good reason. At least he hadn't used his actual heel as an Achilles spot.

Percy hesitated again, and then he said, "The small of my back."

I lifted my non-injured arm, battling the pain that was surging through the other side of my body. I set my hand on Percy's back just below his rib cage, feeling his spine though his shirt. Butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach. "Where? Here?"

Percy reached his other hand back and took hold of my wrist lightly, inducing shivers that had nothing to do with pain. He guided me to a spot across from his belly button. He had a strange expression on his face, like… like…

Well, I wasn't exactly sure what it was like, but I didn't want it to go away.

"You saved me," he said. His voice sounded like it had in my cabin so long ago, when we were getting ready to head into the Labyrinth: a creaky door hinge or something equally on its last leg of life. "Thanks."

I let my hand slide off his back, the effort to keep it there too much. He shifted around and caught it, not letting go.

"So you owe me," I joked feebly, wanting to feel like things were normal. "What else is new?"

Percy grinned down at me, and I held back a happy sigh. Both of us lapsed into silence. The sun was coming up now, throwing a soft light that seemed far removed from the danger of the war over the terrace. Percy turned his attention to it. I moved my head that way, but I couldn't really focus. Every couple of seconds, a new wave of pain would shoot through my arm.

I thought of the bridge again, and Kronos in Luke's body. Tears rose in my eyes. That was what Luke had meant when he said he would be a stepping stone. He was being used.

And it was all my fault.

"You asked me why Hermes was mad at me," I whispered. All our conversations about Luke ended as fights, but I felt like I owed it to Percy to tell him about what had happened.

Maybe I could have stopped him from having to die.

"Hey, you need to rest—"

"No, I want to tell you. It's been bothering me for a long time." I tried to shift my position, and another round of pain shot up my arm. I winced, both from the wound and what I was about to admit. "Last year, Luke came to visit me in San Francisco."

Percy blinked once, his eyes registering disbelief. "In person? He came to your house?" I could hear it in his tone of voice: he was completely and utterly stunned. Guilt overrode the ticklish sensation in my stomach. Percy trusted me enough to tell me his one vulnerable spot, and I'd been hiding this seriously important confrontation for over a year.

I focused on our clasped fingers as I talked, highlighting the important parts of Luke's visit. Whenever I glanced up at Percy, I could see his eyes getting stormier and stormier. But I didn't necessarily think the anger was directed at me.

I finished my story, suddenly craving nothing more than sleep. Percy rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand, seemingly without knowing he was doing it. Again, I felt tingles of pleasure through the pain. He seemed to be gathering his courage to ask something, but before he could, the door opened.

"Percy." Conner Stoll hustled onto the terrace. He glanced at me before he went on, like I might break. Normally I would have resented such a look, but right now I felt like he was right. I was dangerously close to shattering from a combination of pain and stress.

"Mrs. O'Leary just came back with Grover. I think you should talk to him."

Percy hesitated, glancing at me. I gathered my strength and gave his hand a little squeeze. He looked down in surprise, almost like he'd forgotten he was holding it.

"Go on," I whispered.

He hesitated, slowly getting to his feet but keeping his hand in mine. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face. "I'm fine. I'm gonna sleep. Tell Goat Boy I said hey, okay?"

Percy nodded reluctantly, giving my hand a final squeeze. He backed away, and his fingers slipped through mine. I tucked my hand back under the blankets Simon had brought, trying to ignore how empty my palm suddenly felt. "See you later, Seaweed Brain."

Percy glanced back again and grinned slightly, a sad sort of grin. "Have a nice nap, Wise Girl." He headed out the door.

Conner forced a smile, then backed out and pulled the door closed behind him. You know thing's are bad when even a Stoll can't come up with a joke.

I sighed into the silence. I _was_ in serious pain, but it also felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. For once, Percy and I had had a conversation about Luke without it ending in a screaming match.

Maybe I should take knives for him more often. It clearly had its advantages.

* * *

><p><em>I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. But this was Annabeth. If I couldn't trust her, I couldn't trust anyone….<em>

_She put her hand on my spine, and my skin tingled. I moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded me to my mortal life. A thousand volts of electricity seemed to arc through my body._

* * *

><p>AN: So, yes. *At a loss for things to say now that she's ranted* How is everyone? I really appreciate all the reviews for the last chapter. At least no one thought it was a total failure. ;) You all are so sweet to keep reviewing and encouraging me over and over. I have 88 reviews now! :O That's more than I have on any other of my stories, by, like… 70. XD. So thank you, thank you, thank you! :3 And again, I owe special thanks to LiveLoveTwix27, Aariya, PercabethAndZebraFTW, and LAUGHwithaSMILE. You guys are awesome!

One anonymous reviewer, MyDogsNameIsPercyToo, asked if I was going all the way through HoO or stopping with TLO. I was _originally_ planning to quit with the next oneshot, because I already have a story out about Annabeth during HoO, but I thought of an idea I really wanted to do with SoN, so I caved and ended up writing two more. So yes, I am going all the way. Geez, I'm rambling even for myself today. (And what's up with saying "so" every other word?)

Next oneshot, _The (Blue) Icing on the Cake_, will be up… soon. I'm going to a writers' conference next weekend, so I might not have the time to post. (That sounds odd…) But I'll get it up ASAP, I promise!

-Dovewings


	11. The Blue Icing on the Cake

Title: The (Blue) Icing on the Cake  
>Set: During <em>The Last Olympian<em>  
>Summery: She thinks about the phoenix, and rising from the ashes. The war was a tragedy. She knows that. But with him next to her, alive… She doesn't feel as sad as she should.<p>

A/N: Guys! Guys! *Whispers* I got a hundred reviews. I GOT A HUNDRED REVIEWS! *Does some strange dance of joy* I cannot even _believe _it! I actually have 116 right now! Seriously, I was in a state of shock. Thank you sosososososo much! I would also like to give special thanks to Outlaw's Daughter, who went through and reviewed all ten chapters in one day. I appreciate that _so_ much, Outlaw! And also, in my last author's note, I (in my stupidity) completely forgot to thank TheGreekGirl348. I'm so sorry! Thank you for all of your kind reviews. :) And geez, here I ramble again! Get on with the fluff. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Last Olympian._

* * *

><p>"<em>Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought—I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking…"<em>

"_Anyone in particular?"_

* * *

><p>Who would have ever guessed that the Oracle of Delphi would be the key to getting rid of Rachel? I guess there were some good aspects to it, after all. Although, I felt so giddy right now, I could have probably come up with good aspects for just about anything.<p>

The darkness left over from the war hovered in the back of my mind, but the joy was much stronger, at least at this particular moment. We _finally _had peace, for the first time in nearly five years. Grieving could wait a little bit longer.

I emerged from the Big House carrying a huge cupcake, with blue frosting, on a platter. Tyson had settled on the living room couch for "a minute" and was now snoring soundly. A smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. He definitely deserved a rest. And okay, maybe I didn't try _too _hard to wake him up. I kind of wanted this conversation to be one-on-one.

Now, to find Percy…

It didn't take long. Despite the gathering darkness, he was still in the dining pavilion, sitting alone at the Poseidon table and looking toward the ocean.

"Hey," I said, taking a seat next to him. Normally I would have gotten flack for that, but dinner was long over. I set my cupcake on the table. "Happy birthday."

Percy stared at me blankly. "What?"

Oh, my gods. What a Seaweed Brain!

"August 18th," I clarified. I guess the last few days _had_ gotten pretty mixed up. "Your birthday, right?"

Percy blinked several times, and understanding finally dawned in his eyes. I smiled, watching him figure out what I already understood: the great choice we'd all been panicked over had been giving Luke my knife. Luke was the hero who'd gotten his soul reaped—not Percy. In a weird way, Luke's death had almost been… a relief. For such a long time, I'd been agonizing over him, trying to figure out how he could be saved. He was out of my reach now… and the weight of trying to get him back was off my chest.

"Make a wish," I told Percy, a ticklish sensation fluttering against my ribs. Luke could wait. Right now, I pretty much only wanted to talk to Percy. He had no more excuses… and I had a hunch that he was finally ready to discuss the Mount St. Helens thing.

"Did you make this yourself?" Percy asked, appraising the admittedly lopsided and lumpy cupcake. Cyclopes are a wonder with metalworking, but not so much with cake batter.

"Tyson helped."

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," Percy said, straight-faced. "With extra blue cement."

I laughed, feeling like I could fly right up to the stars and join Zoë Nightshade. I hadn't felt this free since… I can't remember when. Maybe never.

Percy thought for a second, and then blew out the candle. He split the cupcake in half and motioned for me to take some. We ate in silence, watching the ocean. Thankfully, the cupcake tasted better than it looked. A wonderful feeling of calm settled over me. The war and its precursors had defined us for so long, but it was over. We could move on.

"You saved the world," I said to Percy.

"We save the world," he returned, giving me a quick glance and a smile.

I swallowed another bite of cupcake. "And Rachel is the new Oracle," I continued optimistically. "Which means she won't be dating anyone." It also meant she was going to be spending a lot more time around here, but I decided I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. Maybe she'd calm down.

"You don't sound disappointed," Percy said, a hint of a tease behind his words.

I shrugged. "Oh, I don't care." I kept my voice light, but I knew he understood exactly where I was going with this. It was the feeling I sometimes got in battle, like we were on the same wavelength and had one mind instead of two.

"Uh-huh."

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"

"You'd probably kick my butt."

"You _know_ I'd kick your butt," I returned, holding in another laugh. Have I mentioned how perfect things felt?

Percy rubbed his hand together, dusting cake crumbs onto the plate. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable… Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."

I studied the waves curling onto the beach, thinking of the dream I'd had the night Percy was in the Underworld, about Percy falling out of a canoe. "Yeah?"

"Then up on Olympus, when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking—"

"Oh, you _so_ wanted to," I cut in. When Zeus had made the offer, I'd just about collapsed, right there on Olympus. Percy-the-god would have been a much different end to the war. I couldn't believe it when he turned _down _the offer.

"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought—I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking…" He trailed off. The anxious look from my cabin when we'd hugged and the Plaza terrace where we'd talked was back.

"Anyone in particular?" I asked, fighting to keep the smile off my face.

Percy glanced over at me, and some of the nerves in his eyes disappeared. "You're laughing at me," he whined.

"I am not!"

"You are _so_ not making this easy," he said.

I couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach, but I scooted even closer to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. My heart had seriously perfected those relay races over the years.

"I am never, _ever_ going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

I looked into his eyes for a split second, and then my gaze darted to his lips. Unlike the time in Mount St. Helen's, we were both ready for what came next. I leaned up and gently brushed my lips across his.

Once more, every thought in my head vanished. Tingles swept through my entire body, and I felt like I was floating under water. Percy's arms wrapped around my waist and slid me closer. He pressed his lips even harder against mine, and I thought I might die from sheer pleasure. It felt like… It felt like… Oh, Hades. What do you want from me?

It felt like I was kissing Percy Jackson.

It was the best sensation in the world.

"Well, it's about time!"

Percy and I snapped apart. My head was spinning, and it took me a second to focus. The dining pavilion was lit with torches, and Clarisse was standing next to us, her hands on her hips and a mischievous grin on her face. It seemed like everyone else in the camp was clustered around her, holding torches and laughing.

They hoisted us onto their shoulders. "Oh, come on," Percy complained. "Is there no privacy?"

"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse shouted, almost squealing. It reminded me of how Silena had sounded all the times she'd sworn Percy and I would get together someday.

I guess she was right, after all.

"The canoe lake!" Conner Stoll shouted from directly under me.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. (I told you I was giddy!)

But come on. Things could not have gotten much better than this moment. We'd fought. We'd lost friends and siblings. It was going to take us a long time to get back on our feet.

But we had everything we really needed.

We had each other.

Gods, I love Camp Half-Blood.

My laughter ended abruptly as we reached the lake. Still cheering, the campers dumped us into the water. Percy's hand slid out of mine, and I held my breath as we plunged under in a stream of bubbles. I started to turn, hoping Percy would stay with me. If we swam under the dock, we could—

His hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me lower. I opened my eyes in surprise. The bubbles were gathering around us, consolidating, until…

We stood in an air pocket, just like the one Percy had made under the Sea of Monsters so very long ago.

I blinked at him, and he shrugged. He was blushing, but there was a smile on his face. "It's a Poseidon thing, you know?"

I started laughing again. The canoe lake was shallow enough that we were actually standing on the bottom. I took two steps toward him, trying to hold in my grin.

"You do come in handy, don't you?"

This time, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me first, sending electricity coursing through my veins. I shivered with delight, reaching up and threading my fingers through his hair. His lips curved into a smile against mine.

Correction: the best sensation in the world is kissing Percy Jackson _under water._

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><p><em>Afterward, I had the last laugh. I made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake. Our friends kept waiting for us to come up, but hey—when you're the son of Poseidon, you don't have to hurry.<em>

_And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time._

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><p>AN: Daw. Come on, say it with me: Dawwwwww, Percabeth. *Hearts* Cuteness beyond _belief_. I swear, reading that scene makes me squeal like some kind of mutant pig. Hopefully I managed to preserve the cuteness. *Another heart that FFN doesn't allow*

And somehow it makes it worse to know that they're not going to have much time. :( Stupid. Hera! Gr. So, I was going to end with this, but I decided that Annabeth's romantic arc is not truly over, so there are two more to come. I can't believe I've almost posted the entire story! :O Next oneshot is _Shattered Fragments_, and will be up as soon as I have the time to edit and post. (And I'm, like, brain-dead posting this. I apologize for any typos. I've read over it several times this week, so I think I caught them all, but... I am the Queen of Typos. Always.)

*Awed* 100 reviews. Thank you! (Again!) *Distributes cookies* You all are the best. Please keep on reviewing! *Wanders off in a state of bliss*

-Dovewings


	12. Shattered Fragments

Title: Shattered Fragments  
>Set: During <em>The Lost Hero<br>_Summery: The war had felt like the end of things. She should have known better. They still had a long road ahead… but she was left piecing together the shattered fragments of a dream, alone.

A/N: Oh. My. Gosh. Do you know how many reviews I have now? 160! :O I am so happy! I was out of town last weekend, as I said, and I've been swamped with make-up work (belch) since I got back, but I kept getting alert after alert, to the point that I couldn't even believe it! *Hugs and cookies all around* Now, going on. I'm sincerely sorry that it took me so long to reply to all the reviews and update. I promise, if it had been at all possible, I would have done it sooner! *Dodges tomatoes* And I'm kind of afraid this chapter isn't spectacular enough to follow up such a gap, but... What can you do? A bunch of it is a long conversation with Jason that I couldn't figure out how to cut without it becoming awkward. *Pokes Jason with a stick* I needed what was before it and what was after. -_-

Also! Quick (important) note: This chapter contains references to Rick Riordan's short story _Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon_. If you haven't read it, you can just google the title and it'll come up. (I love that "google" is now a verb...) It's hilarious, by the way. ;) And now... The update.

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. (Except for the extra children of Athena.) _The Heroes of Olympus_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Lost Hero._

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><p>"<em>Sorry. A little tired."<em>

"_You look ready to drop. How long have you been searching for your boyfriend?"_

"_Three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes."_

"_And you've got no idea what happened to him?"_

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><p>This could <em>not<em> be happening. The war was over. We were… There was finally supposed to be peace.

Yeah, right.

I felt like charging up onto Olympus and beating every one of the gods until they told me what had happened to Percy. But, given that Olympus was closed, that was pretty much impossible. (Okay, so it would have been impossible even if Olympus weren't closed. Have I mentioned that the gods really tick me off sometimes?)

I slammed my fist onto the table, next to the US map I was studying, jittering a cup of pencils.

"Whoa, Annabeth," Simon said. "I don't think beating the wood is going to help." He rolled over in his bunk to study me.

"Leave her alone," Evelyn said from across the cabin, propping herself up on one elbow.

Malcolm, seated next to me, gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. I stiffened under his hand, and he let go. I almost felt guilty.

But then, I was too angry to feel much of anything else.

"It doesn't make sense," I muttered for the thousandth time. "How could something take him out of camp with no one noticing?"

"Labyrinth?" Eldrian offered with a shrug. He was sitting up, but his pillow was propped behind him.

"Oh, don't be _stupid_," Hannah said crossly. She's always a crab first thing in the morning. "The Labyrinth was destroyed!"

"I know that!" Eldrian shot back. "I just meant, what if it was _like_ the Labyrinth: a secret entrance."

I groaned, flopping back in my chair, and my siblings quieted. Malcolm and Evelyn exchanged guilty glances. I sighed, scooping my pencil off the top of the map and spinning it between my fingers.

"Sorry, guys," I muttered.

Hannah opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then shut it and stared at the suit of armor hanging behind us. I kind of understood. The natural response to someone freaking out over a missing boyfriend was _I__t's gonna be okay._

When you're a demigod, phrases like that really don't ring true.

"I need to go," I said finally, getting to my feet.

Evelyn sat up, casting a quick glance toward the bathroom. Margret had claimed the third turn.

"Annabeth, are you sure you don't want to stay here a little longer?"

"I am _finding_ Percy," I told her, trying not to growl the words. I felt like my life was suddenly spinning out of control, and gritting my teeth and plowing through was the only way to survive.

I couldn't let Percy down.

I pulled my coat out of my trunk and swung it on. I should have seen this coming. I knew what came after the first Titan War. I should've… I should've been able to prepare better.

"Be careful," Malcolm said, his tone showing that he had accepted defeat.

I nodded tersely, pausing with my hand on the doorknob. "See you all."

"Bye, Annabeth," Hannah said, in an almost tender tone.

"Hang in there," Evelyn added.

I managed something like a smile before jerking open the door and marching into the brisk morning air.

I stopped for a moment, scanning Camp. It was early enough that things still looked tranquil. The sun hadn't been up long, and the light had that dream-like early morning quality to it. Hardly anyone else was out.

I shook my head. We'd gotten too used to the peace. Every one of us should have known that overcoming Kronos couldn't be the end of the battles in our life. We're demigods. War practically _defines_ us.

My gaze found the Poseidon cabin, and my heart dropped even farther. The start of another war, I probably could have handled. But Percy up and disappearing, right at the start of a great winter break together? Not so much.

I wandered up to the cabin and set my hand on the door. From the outside, it looked perfectly ordinary. Like nothing had changed.

I gently eased the door open, peering into the slightly darker interior. I could see the beach through the windows, and the view made me smile a little. Percy's bunk was just to my left, unmade and littered with old candy wrappers and his helmet. I couldn't help chuckling as I set one finger on the helmet's crown. My Seaweed Brain is a lot of things, but a housekeeper is never going to be one of them.

My smile faded, and I turned away as tears began to sting my eyes. A soft breeze blew through the windows, rattling the Hippocampi mobiles Tyson had made. I reached up and grasped one's tail between two fingers, holding it still. The soft light from the walls reflected off of it, and I could almost see myself in the polished bronze. I let it drop with a sigh.

I strolled to the window, passing Tyson's usual bunk. I leaned my head out into the cold air and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of the wind on my face and the smell of the sea.

Percy smells exactly like that.

I pulled my head back in, the moment spoiled.

You're wasting time, my logical said. As usual, it was right. I turned to go, nearly tripping over a pair of flip-flops that had been left on the cabin floor.

Who wears flip-flops in the winter?

I shook my head. If—_when_—I found Percy, we were going to need to have a talk about his cleaning habits. Again.

I pulled the cabin door closed behind me, trying not to sag against it. The racing panic that had been filling my chest ever since I realized Percy was gone four days ago was getting stronger. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but every day we spent together made me crazier about him.

And now he was gone.

I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. I didn't have time for this. I need to talk to Jason, and then I had to grab Butch, who had once again agreed to come with me. I had a feeling it was mostly just because he wanted a pegasus-riding trip, but at least I would have a good fighter at my back. I would have _preferred_ Grover or Thalia or maybe even Nico, but they were all otherwise occupied. And Tyson was searching the seas. Butch would do.

I jogged toward the Zeus cabin, trying to turn my mind from Percy to Jason, Piper, and Leo. Something about them was seriously important—I had a feeling they were three of the seven demigods from the new Great Prophecy. But there was something more, even, especially with Jason…

I opened the door of the cabin, eyeing the statue of Zeus in the center. If I had my way, I would _so_ redo this place. It was cabin, not a temple! Gods. And I couldn't pretend I wasn't a little ticked at Zeus for having _another_ child that he never claimed. Jason couldn't be more than a year younger than Percy—easily able to play a part in the first Great Prophecy.

But no. Poseidon (and by extension, Percy) had to take all the blame for breaking the oath, even when Zeus broke it _twice_.

It took me a moment to notice Jason. He was in an out-of-the-way spot, behind a brazier, studying something in his hands.

I skirted the statue, coming closer. He was facing away from me, so I saw what he was looking at before I saw his face: an old photo booth strip of Thalia, Luke, and me. I couldn't help but smile a little. That day had been fun. We'd stumbled across the booth at the edge of a park, and Luke had "borrowed" some coins from a nearby wishing well.

I shook my head, pushing away the memory. "That's Thalia," I said.

Jason spun around, looking a little startled. "She's another child of Zeus who lived here—but not for long," I continued.

Jason blinked, and I realized he'd had no idea I was there. I'd assumed he would hear the squeaking door. "Sorry, I should have knocked."

"It's fine," Jason said. He glanced past me, toward the Zeus statue. "Not like I think of this place as home." He sounded exactly Thalia. Where most campers adored their cabins, Thalia had always hated Zeus's. I couldn't really blame her.

Jason studied my gear, then asked, "Don't suppose you've changed your mind about coming with us?"

I had been a little tempted, but Rachel's prophecy hadn't mentioned me. Besides, I honestly didn't think they needed me. Jason seemed plenty capable, as did Piper. I hadn't really interacted with Leo, but children of Hephaestus are generally handy to have around. "You got a good team already. I'm off to look for Percy."

Even though he obviously trying not to show it, I could sense the anxiety radiating off of Jason. I felt a stab of sympathy. It couldn't be easy to be asked to lead a quest right off the bat, especially with amnesia.

"Hey, you'll do fine," I told him. "Something tells me this isn't your first quest."

He definitely didn't behave like a newbie. And there was something about him, something I couldn't quite put my finger on… Part of me was drawn to him as a friend, another part wanted nothing more than to get away. He definitely was not your ordinary camper—maybe even not your ordinary child of Zeus.

Jason studied the picture of the three of us again. He looked tired and a little lonely, and I wondered if he'd had friends like that once.

"You know who I am," he said, catching me off guard. "Don't you?"

I considered that, fingering my knife. "Honestly, Jason… I'm not sure. My best guess, you're a loner. It happens sometimes. For one reason or another, the camp never found you, but you survived by constantly moving around. Trained yourself to fight. Handled the monsters on your own. You beat the odds."

It was a textbox explanation, one that had once defined Thalia, Luke, and I. But for whatever reason, it didn't fit quite right on Jason. He was too old, and therefore powerful, for us not to have found. Something big was up.

"The first thing Chiron said to me was _you should be dead_," Jason told me.

There was definitely something Chiron was hiding, which was also ticking me off. He's always told me everything.

"That could be why," I admitted, figuring I shouldn't stress him out with theories. "Most demigods would never make it on their own. And a child of Zeus—I mean, it doesn't get any more dangerous than that. The chances of your reaching age fifteen without finding Camp Half-Blood or dying—microscopic. But like I said, it does happen. Thalia ran away when she was young. She survived on her own for years. Even took care of me for a while. So maybe you were a loner too."

I had a feeling Jason knew I wasn't totally buying my own explanation. "And these marks?" he pressed, holding out his arm.

I studied them. They were important. No one was going to burn something into their skin that wasn't. It was possible the marks had come from torture… but using symbols and letters to torture someone wasn't even remotely logical.

"Well, the eagle is the symbol of Zeus, so that makes sense." Nothing wrong with getting a tattoo of your godly parent's symbol, although I had little desire to permanently mark myself with an owl. I rubbed my camp beads, and that gave me another idea.

"The twelve lines—maybe they stand for years, if you'd been making them since you were three years old." Too young to be tattooing yourself. Could his mortal parent have somehow been keeping him safe? But again, what logical reason would there be for the lines?

"SPQR—that's the motto of the Old Roman Empire: _Senatus Populusque Romansus, _the Senate and the People of Rome." That was another easy part, but for some reason it bothered me the most. "Though why you would burn that on your own arm, I don't know." Trying to lighten the mood a bit, I added, "Unless you had a _really_ harsh Latin teacher…"

Jason lowered his arm. He seemed ready to drop the subject, to my relief. Then he said, "I, um… had a weird dream last night."

He went on to describe it, and more he talked, the more chilled I felt. We were definitely on the brink of something, something huge. I longed for Percy next to me, to help me make sense of it all. Not that he would necessarily be helpful as far as puzzling things out, but… hey, emotional support is important.

I gave Jason my advise about Aeolus, holding back as much as I could. I'd meant what I said to him: sometimes it was better not to know. You'll psych yourself out and never be able to do the crazy things you need to.

For me, though, this was definitely not one of those times. I wanted Percy back _now_, and I wanted to know I was right about the giants rising. Because if I was, this was no time for Zeus to be closing up Olympus.

Jason studied the picture of us again. "So, um… you said it was dangerous being a child of Zeus. What ever happened to Thalia?"

"Oh, she's fine," I said, picturing Thalia today with a stab of longing. I wished she were here, to help me find Percy. She was looking, of course, but it wasn't the same as looking _with_ me. "She became a Hunter of Artemis—one of the handmaidens of the goddess. They roam around the country killing monsters. We don't see them at camp very often."

Jason twisted up his mouth, glancing at the statue behind me. He looked tired, like he was wishing there was a way for him to escape the cabin. I can't say I blamed him—no offense to Zeus or anything, but I wouldn't want to be one of his kids.

"Who's the other kid in the photo?" Jason asked. "The sandy haired guy."

For the first time, I wanted out of that cabin. "That's Luke. He's dead now." Whenever I thought of Luke these days, it was a mixture of frustration, pride, longing, and sorrow. It's a pretty exhausting emotion. I'd meant what I'd said to him on Olympus—he had been a brother, but I'd never _loved_ him. Still, I couldn't deny a crush when I was younger. I couldn't imagine being happier than I was—had been—with Percy, but sometimes I wondered what would have happened if Luke had lived.

"How old is she now?" Jason asked. Thankfully, he didn't seem overly interested in Luke.

I considered that. When we'd met, I'd been seven and Thalia twelve. That would put her five years older than me. But when she been reborn from the tree, she'd been fifteen and I'd been thirteen, which closed the gap a lot. "Hard to say. She was a tree for a while. Now she's immortal."

"What?" Jason snapped his head around to me, eyes wide.

I laughed for the first time in a while. "Don't worry. It's not something all children of Zeus go through. It's a long story, but… well, she was out of commission for a long time. If she'd aged regularly, she'd be in her twenties now, but she still looks the same as in that picture, like she's about… well, about your age. Fifteen or sixteen?"

Jason nodded slightly, keeping his gaze pinned on the photo. I shifted my weight, wondering about his continued interest in Thalia. I mean, I'd understood the first two questions, but something about the way he looked at the picture was bothering me.

"What's her last name?" Jason asked, startling me.

I chewed my lip, well aware of how Thalia felt about last names. "She didn't use a last name, really. If she had to, she'd use her mom's, but they didn't get along. Thalia ran away when she was pretty young."

I was hoping he'd drop it at that, but Jason waited in silence, clearly not going to move on without an answer.

I finally gave in. "Grace," I said. "Thalia Grace."

Jason's face paled, and the picture slipped from his grasp.

"You okay?" I asked, my feelings of unease growing.

Jason didn't say anything, but his mouth opened and closed a few times.

"What is it?" I pressed, wondering if I should pick up the photo or have him sit down. I had a feeling we'd just hit on something big.

Jason studied me for a second, and I could see indecision in his eyes. "You have to swear not to tell anyone else," he said, once again catching me off guard.

Tell them what? "Jason—"

"Swear it," he repeated, his voice urgent and a little pleading. "Until I figure out what's going on, what this all means—You have to keep a secret."

I bit my lip. In theory, that shouldn't be too hard. I was going away with Butch, and he wasn't much for deep conversation. Chiron certainly wasn't telling me everything he knew, which gave me little desire to run straight to him with news. Percy, I would—Wait. I couldn't tell Percy, anyway. He wasn't around to be told.

I swallowed hard. Besides, if it was about Thalia, I had a right to know. "All right. Unless you tell me it's okay, I won't share what you say with anyone else. I swear on the River Styx." Might as well go all the way.

Thunder rumbled, and Jason leaned down to pick up the photo. "My last name is Grace," he said. "This is my sister."

I stared at him in disbelief. He was kidding, right? Thalia was an only child! She'd told me so, and—I stopped. Hadn't she told me? I racked my brain. I couldn't remember her ever saying anything about her family, other than how awful her mom was, and that she had died during the time Thalia was a tree. Family wasn't the most popular of topics with her or Luke. But… she'd have said something if she'd had a little brother. Wouldn't she of? If he was fifteen, and she'd been born twenty-two years ago, that put her about seven years old than him. She hadn't run away until she was nine, so—

The cabin doors flew open, and Butch spilled in, flanked by Miranda, Katie, Pollux, Will, Lou Ellen, and Kayla, all with varying degrees of excited horror on their faces. "Hurry!" he shouted. "The dragon is back."

Jason and I stared at them for a split second, and then we took off, out of the cabin and across the green. Dead in the middle of a band of semi-armed campers was the bronze dragon, wings gleaming in the—wait, wings? It didn't have wings!

"Stand down!" Jason shouted at the campers, surprising me. Most of them obeyed.

I stayed on Jason's heels as he pushed through the crowd, and Nyssa, from Hephaestus, joined us. Leo stood next to the dragon, looking ready to explode from excitement.

Jason shook his head in disbelief. "Leo, what have you done?"

I stared at the dragon. It hadn't had wings before, but it was definitely the same one Beckendorf, Silena, Percy, and I had fixed and then fought the time we (read: Percy and Beckendorf) stumbled upon the Myrmekes. I almost glanced around to share a grin, but then I remembered that all three of them were gone.

"Found a ride!" Leo said, beaming. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

"It—has wings." Nyssa's mouth was hanging open in utter shock.

"Yeah!" If Leo's grin got any wider, he was going to split his face in half. "I found them and reattached them."

I wondered if Leo had noticed that its head had been chewed off and then put back on.

"But it never had wings," Nyssa protested. "Where did you find them?"

For the first time, Leo's grin faded a tad. I had been wondering that, too. Was it possible they had been buried even deeper than the rest of the dragon? How would Leo have known where to look? "In… the woods." Leo hastily changed the subject, the smile returning. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."

"Mostly?" Nyssa asked, voicing was I was thinking.

On cue, the dragon's head tilted sideways, and black oil poured out of its ear and onto Leo.

"Just a few kinks to work out," he said calmly, not even bothering to wipe it away.

"But how did you survive…? I mean, the fire breath…" Nyssa, apparently, was not going to believe this until she had every detail. I wasn't feeling so cynical. Percy and Beckendorf had managed to shut it down without getting fried, and it had helped us. Maybe Leo had just caught it in the right mood.

"I'm quick," Leo said. He paused, then added, "And lucky." He turned to Jason. "Now, am I on this quest, or what?"

Jason scratched his head, studying the creature with a mixture of respect and confusion. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"

Fetus did what looked like a little dance, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I could see both Beckendorf and Percy laughing at the name.

"That's a yes, bro!" Leo glanced around, and his grin faded a tad. I felt my smile slip away, as well. Beckendorf was down in the Underworld, so until somebody else died, he wasn't going to hear the dragon's name. And Percy…

"Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys," Leo said. "I already picked up some supplies in the—um, the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."

I narrowed my eyes a little. Even I didn't know every inch of the woods, but I was fairly certain there were no supply stores. Still, it didn't seem like a huge issue, compared to everything else.

"But we haven't planned anything yet," Jason objected. Wait, so all that about Aeolus didn't count? "We can't just—"

"Go," I said, still studying the dragon. I knew it wasn't my place, but a big part of me wanted to crawl up on his back and pretend I was still the girl who had played capture the flag that night, years ago…

I cleared my throat. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!"

Jason nodded, and I saw confidence building in his eyes. He looked into the crowd and smiled at Piper. "You ready, partner?"

She studied the dragon, clearly holding back a big grin. "You bet."

Together, they hurried forward. Leo showed them how to climb up, and soon all three were perched on Festus's back.

"Hi-yah!" Leo shouted. Festus reared back on his hind legs and launched into the sky, drawing a delighted gasp from Piper. Festus made a circle over the cabins, and Leo grinned down at us, waving one arm over his head. "Hera or bust!" he whooped.

"It has wings," Nyssa mumbled in disbelief.

"It has wings," I agreed. I studied the tips of my boots for a second before looking up and finding Butch's face in the crowd. "You ready?"

"Huh?" He blinked at me, apparently still mostly focused on Fetus. "Wh—Oh! Oh, yeah! Yeah, just gotta grab my backpack. I'll meet you at the stable."

I nodded, turning to jog that way before someone could try to engage me. I lifted my head toward the woods. Festus was just a golden speck on the horizon.

I sighed. Another piece of the past gone. I blinked back tears again. Percy would have _loved_ that little confrontation.

I stopped at the stable door and swallowed hard. "Hang in there, Seaweed Brain," I whispered. "I'm coming for you."

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><p>"<em>An exchange goes two ways… <em>

_Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is."_

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><p>AN: Doesn't know who _he _is, but he know who _you _are, Annabeth. So don't you worry. ;) A-n-y-w-a-y... *Mores cookies for reviewers* I am so grateful to y'all. (Yes. I live in the south. I say y'all. Get over it!) I'm sorry I can't take everyone's suggestions for the story, 'cause they're all really good! But I already have the story finished, other than editing, so there's not a _ton_ that's going to change. I'm sorry for any updates I didn't catch in my edits, as well. This is long, so I have a feeling there will be some.

I cannot believe the next chapter is the last one! O.o It'll be up next weekend, I guess. Again, I'm sorry about updating sooner. I was at a writers' conference last week/weekend, and while it was _awesome_ and I learned _tons _about writing, there was very little time to sit down and edit fanfics. But guess what? I got an award for "Most Promising Teen Writer" at the conference. *Squeal of delight* So yes, last weekend was pretty much one of the best weekends of my life. *Hugs the weekend* (Sorry, I just had to share that. I feel like I'm floating around on a cloud. :P So you can flame me now and tell me how I totally did not deserve that award... Keep me from getting a big head. ;))

But back to the next chapter. The title is _Flying Higher_, and... Yeah, I guess that's all I feel like giving away. Well, okay, I will say it's _not _a reunion! I'm very sorry, but I pretty much want to wait for cannon on that. But if MoA comes out and the cannon is not already in Annabeth's POV, I might write it. Maybe. So, anyway. A thousand thanks for all the reviews! You guys are the best! (Notice I did not say "y'all.")

-Dovewings


	13. Through the Fog

Title: Through the Fog  
>Set: During SoN<br>Summery: She's had a thousand dreams about him since he left, but none like this. Oh no, none like this. This one is _real_.

A/N: So, timing: First, my timing on this. -_- I apologize. _But_ I looked at Flying Higher, and decided that it sucked, so I completely re-wrote it. New concept, new title, new quotes—everything. So yes, that took a little time. Then I had not one, but _four_ school papers to write in less than a week, and then we went out of town… yeah. Sorry. But hopefully you like this one! I definitely like it way better than the other. :) (Obviously, since this is the one I'm posting.)

Second: the timing for the whole Percy/Annabeth separation thing. They started going out on August 18th. That's clear. In TLH, Annabeth tells Piper that she and Percy were excited to have a three-week winter break together. She says they had been there one night/day/whatever and _poof_ he vanished. Then at the end of the book, when the _Argo II_ is being discussed, Chiron says they have six months to build it, since they must sail by the summer solstice. The solstice is generally around June 22. That puts TLH taking place in December, which fits with winter break. This has them dating for _about_ four months, give or take. However, in SoN, Percy says he and Annabeth had _two_ months together, and he's been gone for _eight_. That would put him going missing in October. I don't know _any_ schools that take winter break in October. Annabeth clearly tells Piper that Percy's been missing for "three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes." I'm too lazy to figure out how long Jason, Piper, and Leo's quest took, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't any more than a week, and the _Argo II_ was discussed very soon after they got back. So, to end this all: I'm talking Annabeth's word over Percy's and saying he's been gone for six months (and maybe a week or two) when the CHB crew sails. :P We'll say his amnesia kept him from counting properly. Or maybe he just never got his memory of October–December back. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Annabeth, Percy, or any other characters. _The Heroes of Olympus_ belongs solely to Rick Riordan. Quotes are from _The Lost Hero _and _The Son of Neptune_.

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><p><em>He was reluctant to share his one clear memory: Annabeth's face, her blond hair and gray eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss whenever he did something stupid.<em>

_She must have kissed me a lot, Percy thought._

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><p>Some people talk about "the worst day of their lives." And trust me, I've had a lot to choose from. But my final answer wouldn't be a day so much as six long, hard months. I was kind of surprised, sometimes, that I kept managing to get out of bed each day. (You know, the nights I actually slept.) I felt like someone had plunged my insides into a deep freeze. Everyone that I had ever really cared about—counted on—was gone. Tyson and Grover were searching the country whenever they could, in between their duties. Thalia was roaming with the Hunters. And Percy…<p>

Well, all indications were that he didn't even remember I existed.

Sometimes my life is _so darn frustrating._

I sighed deeply and flipped over in my bunk, facing away from the center of the cabin. I have my area of the wall plastered with architecture—postcards, drawings, photos… you name it. I even have one of Percy's old math worksheets that I'd designed a museum on. I'd asked him before I started, but he'd been mixed up and hadn't realized he needed to turn the sheet in the next day. His math teacher thought I showed real promise as an architect. But Percy still got a D on the homework.

I shifted again, to my other side and then onto my stomach. The inside of my sleeping bag felt like it was a thousand degrees, and I impatiently tossed the top of the bag to the side. The zipper was only up about an inch at the bottom, and I withdrew my bare feet. Unfortunately, it didn't bring much relief.

I hugged my pillow with both arms, and one of my fingernails caught on the corner of a picture. I drew the pillow all the way under my stomach. While I had lots of non-architecture pictures, there were only two up in my bunk. They were on the slat that ran behind my pillow, so I could reach up and feel them when I went to sleep. A deep sigh slipped out as I looked at them now.

The one on the outside was from years ago, of Percy, Grover, and I just after we'd gotten Zeus's bolt back. Our heads and shoulders filled the shot completely. Percy was in the middle, with an arm stretched around each of our shoulders, and we were all laughing. We looked so young… and so happy.

The other picture was much more recent. It also featured three people, but in this shot, Thalia was the third. She, Percy, and I sat on the couch in the Big House living room, and we were all asleep. I was cuddled up to Percy, with my head on his shoulder. His cheek was against the top of my head, and we were curled toward each other. The cutest part of the picture, though, was Thalia. She had her head resting on Percy's other shoulder, and looked perfectly content. Of course, when she'd woken up, she'd just about had a heart attack, but Chiron was able to get the picture first.

I flopped back onto my back and groaned, then glanced around the cabin. At two in the morning, no one else was stirring.

The smart ones.

Another moment of silence passed in the oven that was the Athena cabin. Finally, I growled and sat up. It was time to accept that there would be no sleep tonight. Again.

Normally, when I was back at Camp and unable to sleep, I would head over to the _Argo II_ and work. The ship was nearly finished now, though. _Nearly_ was the most frustrating part. Twice we'd been ready to leave at the crack of dawn, only to find that the steering on the ship had mysteriously broken in the night. The first time, we chalked it up to a maddening coincidence. The second time? Not so much.

But fixing the steering didn't need more than one person, two at the most, and I knew that Leo, Jason, and Piper were all already camped on the ship's deck.

I slid my feet under the edge of my bunk and drew out my flip-flops, then stood and grabbed my Yankees cap from on top of my trunk.

The cabin door opened without squeaking, thanks to the oiling I'd given it a few months back. I slapped the cap over my loose curls, glancing around for harpies. Not that any of them would ever be able to catch me—I was far too practiced at dodging.

In the stillness and the silence, I could hear the waves crashing on the beach. My feet automatically shuffled toward that way. It was one of my favorite places to go when I couldn't sleep, along with an old dock that Percy and I had found. Sand is a lot softer to lie on, though.

A gibbous moon shone in the sky, casting a beautiful light over the sand and the water. The surf was much rougher than usual, I noticed. It almost seemed—excited?

Had something good happened to Poseidon? Did it have anything to do with Percy?

I jerked off my hat and stood motionless for a long moment. The t-shirt of Percy's that I had—ahem—_borrowed_ and was now using as a pajama top whipped around my hips as the wind picked up. I held my breath, waiting in silence.

Nothing happened. After a bit, the wind died back down, and the water calmed. I sighed and let my shoulders slump.

It was official. I was _way_ too tired.

A sudden lump rose in the back of my throat, and I turned away from the ocean before I could start bawling. Nobody was around to see me, but still—the more you let yourself break, the harder it is to keep it together when you can't afford to.

I climbed a sand dune, sliding back many times on the loose footing. Finally, however, I made it to the top and plopped to my seat. The water was now pounding steadily against the sand, exactly like it did every other night. Nothing special.

I leaned my head back to look at the stairs. Zoë was almost directly above me. I thought of the moment when Artemis had sent her into the sky, and sniffed hard. Ugh! I was _not_ going to spend the night crying like some… some… spineless wimp.

I closed my eyes and wished for Thalia. Unlike everyone else at camp, she never shied away from mentioning Percy. Nor did she look at me like I was going to shatter whenever he came up. There were no awkward pauses in her stories. If Percy was in it, he was in it.

I sighed. Thalia had been to camp several times, but she hadn't come to see me. She'd been "bonding with Jason." I didn't have anything against Jason as far as his personality went, but sometimes I just felt like feeding him to Mrs. O'Leary for being Percy's "replacement". Hera's plan was so demented—Jason was _not_ Percy. Not even close. You couldn't just "switch" people like they were pieces in a chess game! Really, there's no better way to send the message to demigods that their lives don't matter than to steal their memories and yank them out of their homes. _Gods._

I pull my thoughts off Hera before I could get even madder. At least I had stopped crying. I focused on the edge of the sand, where it had been worn smooth by the tide. The dune underneath me was becoming uncomfortable, and I squirmed around until I was settled in a kind of hollow. The night was warm, but the sand cool enough that a few goose bumps popped up on my arms. I sighed and fanned my hair across the dune, trying to ignore the thought that it was going to be a mess in the morning.

I lay back, and refocused on the glittering stairs above me. There was Orion, and Canis Major… Ursa Minor… the Gemini Twins… Slowly, my eyes fluttered closed, and the beach faded away.

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><p>Mist surrounded me. I seemed to be standing on a narrow walkway. It was made of some kind of crumbling stone (shale, maybe?) and visible only for about a foot in front of me and behind. To the side, it faded into mist inches from the edge of my flip-flops. That was weird… My surrounds were abnormal, but they seemed so real.<p>

A spark of hope rose in my chest, and I caught my breath. Could this finally be something significant? My heart raced. Other than Hera's oh-so-helpful order to go get Jason, my dreams for the last few months had been nothing of significance: regular old nightmares that reflected my fears and made almost no sense.

I peered into the curling white stuff, but I couldn't see anything. It almost seemed as though there _was_ nothing else.

"Well, okay then," I said aloud. My voice didn't seem to make a dent in the heavy silence around me.

I took a deep breath and marched forward. Soon the place where I had arrived was out of sight—not that it was any different than the rest of the path. Nothing stirred, except for the mist, which floated and twisted a bit eerily.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

A dark shape appeared in the midst, steadily coming toward me. I stopped and squinted, trying to make it out. It looked humanoid, maybe a little larger than me. It—he?—was accelerating rapidly, and I stumbled back as I realized it we were going to collide. I glanced to the side, wondering it was safe to jump into the fog. Something told me it wasn't. I got ready to duck, hoping I could somehow avoid getting bulldozed.

At the last possible second, the person—who did not seem to be moving of his own will—swerved sideways. He slowed greatly as he passed, head and shoulders visible through the mist.

"Grover!" I shouted.

He jerked around, staring at me with wide eyes. Delight, confusion, and worry were all mixed together on his face. "Annabeth!" he exclaimed in shock.

The mist was pulling him away from me. I took a few steps back the way I'd come. "Grover, what—"

"Go forward!" he shouted. "Keep going! Tell him to stay put! He's close, but he won't find him if he leaves!"

"What?" I stopped. Grover was speeding up again. "What are you—"

"Catch up to him!" Grover cried. "Annabeth, tell him not to move!"

He was flying now, and I could hardly hear him. "What? Who? Grover!"

He was a speck in the distance again, and I stood still in mist reached out a curling finger for my ear, and I flinched away. As it eased past, I heard Grover's voice, as though shouted from a long way off. Just one single word, but a word that made my heart skip a beat: "_Percy._"

I spun around and ran in the direction Grover had come from. Heedless of the crumbling rock scrapping against my feet, or the way my flip-flops kept tangling, I went as fast as I could. The mist on my left started to thin, and a platform of red rock appeared. It was moving, like a giant conveyor belt. A single person stood in the center of the cleared area, facing away from me.

My breath caught, and I choked on a sob. Even from the back, I would recognize him anywhere.

Percy Jackson.

I put on another burst of speed. Grover knew where he was! He and Tyson had been searching, and… Oh, gods! "_He's close, but he won't find him if he leaves!"_ Tyson was close to finding him! That had been what Grover meant.

Rock crumbled beneath my feet, but I reached Percy's side. He turned, confusion in the sea-green eyes that I had so missed. I reached out for him. "Thank the gods!" I cried, forgetting for a second that I was mad at them all.

Recognition crossed Percy's face, and hope.

"For months and months we couldn't see you!" I cried. "Are you all right?"

Percy stared at me, as though drinking me in. Two emotions battled in his eyes: joy and disbelief. "Are you real?" he whispered.

The question startled me, and I sucked in a breath. _Are you real?_ I'd asked the same question to a thousand Percys in a thousand dreams over the last six months of torture. The answer had always been _no_. Well, _no _and _who the Hades are you_? But there was none of that now. The Percy facing me knew who I was—he was just afraid I was going to disappear.

The mist hissed suddenly, and whipped out to wrap around my ankles. I looked down in disbelief. It felt like any regular fog, but my skin faded where it touched me. _No!_

Percy's platform was accelerating, and he turned to keep looking at me, his face desperate. The mist was coating all of me now, and my vision was going foggy. All the things I wanted to say to Percy balled together in the back of my throat. In desperation, I seized Grover's instructions.

"Stay put!" I screamed. "It'll be easier for Tyson to find you! Stay where you are!"

I thought of one other thing I _had_ to say, but before I could, Percy's platform sped out of sight. The mist reached my face, and whiteness took over everything.

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><p>"Ah!" My eyes flew open, and I flailed my arms wildly against the cold stuff surrounding me. The ground gave way, and I was halfway down the dune before my brain kicked in and told me where I was. I reached out and stopped my fall, loose sand crumbling beneath my fingers.<p>

I stared at the water, eyes wide. _What just happened? _My entire body trembled, and I couldn't decide if I felt more like laughing, screaming, or sobbing.

Finally, I couldn't be still any longer. I vaulted to my feet, and that sent me sliding the rest of the way down the dune. I snatched up my hat and bolted toward camp, exhilaration flowing through me.

Tyson was going to find Percy. We would fix the _Argo II_ and sail tomorrow or the day after—I'd be back with Percy by the end of the week.

I was shedding sand as I flew toward the Big House, but I didn't care. Percy was alive! He was okay, and he remembered me!

"Chiron!" I shouted. Okay, it was three in the morning, but this was important enough to wake a few people. "Chiron!"

A light in the Big House flashed on, and Chiron appeared in the door. "What—Annabeth? What's wrong?" He was clearly expecting an attack of some kind.

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I slowed down in front of him. "Chiron!"

He sighed. "_What_, Child?"

A thought occurred to me, and I actually laughed out loud. "Do you know how strong scarf magic is?"

"Do I what?"

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><p>"<em>I'm going. Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you."<em>

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><p>AN: *Whispers* That's my story. Or my take on the story we all know, more accurately. Did you like it?

A thousand thank-yous to my reviewers, especially those of you who have reviewed each and every chapter. I'd go through by name, but I'm afraid I'd miss someone. You know who you are—and this cookie is especially for you. *Smiles and hands over your favorite kind*

Now. BIG, BIG hugs for Zeb (PercabethAndZebrasFTW) who's sweet as can be, and so wonderful to have around. I'm so glad I've gotten to know you. (And I think I have a PM to answer, as well, but I wanted to get this posted while I can. We're out of town. I shall do it… soon. :P) Lots of hugs and thanks also go to LiveLoveTwix27 and Aariya. By the way, if you're looking for a good story to read, check out any of these girls. They're awesome. :) In addition, TheGreekGirl348 deserves much thanks for her reviews, as does LAUGHwithaSMILE. So thank you. :)

I know there are several of you that have asked me to check out your stories. I plan to, but things are really crazy for me now. Let me get through the next month or two, and I'll have more reading time. I've got lots of cool stuff I want to check out.

Thank you a hundred times over for taking your time to read _Aphrodite's Scarf_. Some final hugs and butterflies!

-Dovewings


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